Frequent Quakes Off Chiba Coast

Mar 02, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A series of earthquakes have been occurring off the coast of eastern Chiba since Tuesday, February 27, with 16 tremors that have registered a seismic intensity of 1 or higher.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), earthquakes have been frequent off the coast of eastern Chiba since around midnight on the 27th of last month. By 11:00 AM on March 1st, there have been 16 earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 1 or higher.

Among these, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 that occurred around 5:43 AM on Friday morning was observed with a seismic intensity of 4 in Togane City and Ichihara City in Chiba Prefecture, as well as in Saitama City. Additionally, an earthquake with a seismic intensity of 4 was observed in Oamishirasato City, Chiba Prefecture, around 6:35 PM on the 29th of last month.

The JMA states that off the coast of eastern Chiba, earthquakes with magnitudes of around 5 occur intermittently, and earthquake activity can become active for periods ranging from a week to several months. There have been significant earthquake activities in the years 1996, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2014, and 2018, with some earthquakes reaching a seismic intensity of lower 5.

A JMA official stated, "We do not know if this earthquake activity will lead to a major earthquake," but they will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Furthermore, as there is a possibility of earthquakes with strong tremors occurring in the future, the JMA is calling for residents to reconfirm their earthquake preparedness, such as securing furniture.

Source: 日テレNEWS

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