Aftershocks prompt fear of a major quake near Tokyo

[azmouse]

Quote:As dozens of aftershocks continued to rattle Japan on Tuesday, scientists said they were worried that Friday's magnitude 9 earthquake might trigger a dangerous temblor close to Tokyo, the largest urban center in the world.

The fear is that the initial quake and the series of large aftershocks will transfer geophysical stress into nearby faults, causing some near Tokyo to shift violently, said Michael Wysession, a seismologist at Washington University in St. Louis.

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A 2008 study that assessed the seismic risk in Tokyo concluded that the city faced a 30% chance of a quake with shaking as intense as that felt in Sendai in the next 30 years.

Friday's quake appears to have "slightly increased the stresses on faults around Tokyo," said Stein, who led the study. Still, he emphasized that exactly what it might herald is unclear.

Scientists noted that predicting earthquake activity was always a tricky business.

"We have an incredible habit of being wrong," Stein said.

More at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/...1029.story