Jolted awake by an earthquake this morning

Japan
July 8, 2020 9:29pm CST
Yesterday I went to bed in plenty of time, woke up in time to tune in to a livestream from my favorite geologist at Japan time 1:00 a.m., and slept for maybe four hours. The cat woke me up (kind of) and I was just drifting in and out of sleep at 6:06 when the house jumped and jerked. Usually I'm just interested in earthquakes but this one felt strong, which I immediately knew was nearby. Two seconds later my phone started going off, "Jishin desu! woop woop woop Jishin desu!" (It's an earthquake!) Then by the time the short but energetic shaking had stopped, our city loudspeakers broadcast the "Large earthquake, take cover" warning. It was under land in Ibaraki prefecture, which is fairly close to me. It was felt on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 1-7 as a 4 (early warning estimated it at a 5). It turns out that it is in an area that Japanese seismologists call an "earthquake nest" where three plates (Pacific, Philippine and Okhotsk) come together. This one, like several others I have felt recently, was probably caused by the movement of the Philippine plate going under Tokyo. Oh yea. If you are interested, I'll tell you how Early Earthquake Warning systems work, and why they don't work as well when you're too near the quake. Do you like to find out scientific facts behind things happening to you?
6 people like this
8 responses
• Agra, India
9 Jul 20
Oopss...I'm glad you all.are safe there.
• Japan
9 Jul 20
Yes, we are fine with earthquakes this time, it's the flooding that is giving parts of Japan trouble. And the virus of course.
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca omg...we floods common there
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@amitkokiladitya There are a lot of floods in Kyushu, where they are having them now. Where I live, not so much. My land is high and I'm at the top of a hill. Where my school is, is about 10 meters lower and sometimes our buildings flood. Especially my building, which has a half-basement. Most Japanese houses don't have basements because of moisture (not flooding so much).
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323658)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jul 20
That sounds scary. So do people heed the take cover warning? And what would they do?
• Japan
9 Jul 20
In the school everyone goes under their desks but I don't know what others do when they are at home. Our kids are well trained. I have a table I can go under.
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@JudyEv (323658)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca That doesn't really sound like much protection but I guess it's better than nothing.
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@JudyEv The most injuries that happen in earthquakes in places that have good building codes are from things falling on you (books, light fixtures, drywall). The likelihood of any current building in Japan collapsing is pretty small. I figure if my house was ok during the 9.0 in 2011 it probably won't fall down.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (84628)
• United States
9 Jul 20
I have only felt a couple of earthquakes, and they were mild.
• Japan
9 Jul 20
What area of the States? (You don't have to be super specific.)
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@AmbiePam (84628)
• United States
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca I lived in California for a few years as a child, and I remember a couple there. But now I live in Oklahoma, and we have a couple mild ones a year. Nothing as forceful as the ones in California.
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@AmbiePam Yeah, it seems like Oklahoma is becoming one of the new hotspots for earthquake swarms. (swarms being a lot of little earthquakes)
1 person likes this
@marguicha (214281)
• Chile
9 Jul 20
We go by the Richter scale. We are a seismic country too.
@marguicha (214281)
• Chile
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca A 4.8 earthquake does not wake me up. But then, I donĀ“t have those new phones. Whenever I feel it, I run to the garden immediately.
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@marguicha I was surprised it was so small, but because it was under land, it was felt pretty strongly. I was surprised that we felt it, especially since it was 60 km deep or so. I stay inside because if I ran outside there could be things falling (ceiling tiles, electric wires). My building is pretty stable. Since it is wood frame, it sways rather than being brittle and breaking. But I do feel it on the second floor.
1 person likes this
• Japan
9 Jul 20
The Richter was pretty small for this one. Only 4.8, but close enough to me under the land that it was strong but short. Yes, you folks sure have them.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (110754)
• El Paso, Texas
9 Jul 20
I would have been terrified if I were near a quake. I hope you will not have to go through any more of them.
@rebelann (110754)
• El Paso, Texas
9 Jul 20
I can't imagine trying to get used to something like that @petatonicsca
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@rebelann I grew up with tornadoes and in general I would take a quake over a tornado any day. Most of them are very brief and don't hurt anything.
1 person likes this
• Japan
9 Jul 20
We will have plenty, but they don't really scare me if I'm awake.
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@Hannihar (129065)
• Israel
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca That must have been very scary to be jolted awake by an earthquake. My first experience with an earthquake I was learning a course and we were in the bomb shelter and all of a sudden things started to move and after it was love we went outside to look and it was fine. I thought of my cat being at home and hoping she was ok. When i got home things were fine and she was fine.
• Japan
9 Jul 20
I'm used to them but they are scary when they wake me up. My cat was definitely there. It would be really scary to be in a bomb shelter when an earthquake happened.
1 person likes this
• Japan
10 Jul 20
@Hannihar I can understand that. I was at school in 2011 when we had the 9.0 and didn't go home for hours. My cats were sitting there like nothing had happened. When an earthquake happens and I'm there, they run to me and look at me like "Make it stop please." They bend their legs a little, like people on a ship trying to not be seasick. It's kind of interesting.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129065)
• Israel
9 Jul 20
@petatonicsca It was my first time experiencing one and was maybe surprised that things started to move. I was worried more for my cat than myself.
@Adie04 (17364)
9 Jul 20
Wooo.. stay safe there.
• Japan
9 Jul 20
I intend to!
@Adie04 (17364)
9 Jul 20
@Young_boy (1055)
• Bekasi, Indonesia
9 Jul 20
Yes i interest. Because my place is often earthquakes too.
• Japan
9 Jul 20
Can you see any volcanoes from where you live?