A strong one earthquake of magnitude 6.7 hit the Japan today, November 9, at 5.03pm local time (9.03am in Italy). According to what was reported by INGV, the epicenter has been localized at seaabout 120 km east of Iwate Prefecture, at a depth of 9 km. The Japan Meteorological Agency then issued a tsunami warningreporting the observation of a wave of 10 centimetres in the port of Ofunato, in Iwate Prefecture, at 5.39pm local time and warning for the possibility of waves up to one meter high.
The first shock was followed by a second earthquake, of magnitude 6.3recorded at 17.54 local time (09.54 in Italy) and detected at a depth of 20 km. According to what was reported by local authorities, the earthquake was felt in the city of Morioka and in the towns of Yahaba, in Iwate, and in that of Wakuya in the nearby prefecture of Miyagi.
From a geological point of view, Japan is an extremely seismic country, being the result of clash of tectonic plates: specifically, it is the Pacific plate, which subducts under the North American plate. This active tectonic context translates into the presence of thousands of compressional faults, the reactivation of which can generate frequent and intense earthquakes.
For the moment, however, no damage or injuries have been reported from today’s two earthquakes: the article remains updated.
