Tsunami hits Japan

[BuB]

A massive 8.9 earthquake hits Japan and it generated a tsunami. It is being reported as the 7th largest earthquake ever recorded. The video is incredible. Houses swept away in a matter of seconds. Raging fires everywhere. Reports of power outages in Tokyo affecting 4 million people.

Scientists have just issued an "urgent warning" for Hawaii and a "watch" for the West coast of the U.S. Experts are predicting the tsunami could hit Hawaii about 3:00am their time. This warning has been telling people to take immediate precautions to protect lives and property.

The one thing that is standing out is that in the majority of the video's being shown from Japan you don't see many people. Not outside, on cars, on roofs, wading in the water, nothing. I have only seen a couple people. I hope that means that they had some warning and got out of Dodge.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_as/as_japan_earthquake

[rsmit84]

Anyone read the article on yahoo about the moon causing something like this? I read it earlier tonight and then about an hour later, this. Kind of crazy. Although the article said it would happen on the 20th when the moon is full and the closest its been to earth in 18 years. Probably unrelated but kind of a mind-blower

[tornado]

... the moon is full and the closest its been to earth in 18 years. Probably unrelated but kind of a mind-blower

this is a bit of a stretch....but could be possible and has been theorized for a couple centuries...

as most know the gravitational effect of the moon depends really only on two factors
--the moon & earth's masses, which of course do not vary more than a millionth of 1% from day to day..
--and of course the distance between the two bodies' centers of gravity....
Extreme values for perigee and apogee (closest and farthest distances) are...
357,643 Km and 406,395 Km....thus is you do the math, the gravitational pull varies only about 20% between the weakest and the strongest....
that's sufficient to have a little pull on the earth's surface water accounting for the tides, but whether it's enough of a pull to alter rock structure and account for earthquakes is debatable....possible, but certainly not shown plainly by evidence of when the most or severest earthquakes happen.

Of course the sun also affects tides and if you line up the sun and moon precisely you can increase the tidal forces significantly more (~25% or more) over the level of minimal tidal forces.

[thefish7]

My wife is from tokyo so this was a bit of a scary morning, but we've heard from her family and they're okay. We've also heard from some of our friends, and they're all okay so far.

[Da Coach]

The tsunami has hit some coastal areas north of Tokyo very hard.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/11/massive-tsunami-devastates-japan-hawaii-braces-for-huge-wave/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk1%7C49540

[BradleyJD]

This is very scary stuff. Nuclear plants on fire, airports, farms, and villages all destroyed.

The aftershocks will probably last a week or so.

Glad to see the U.S. already helping.

Thoughts and prayers to all involved.

[bigdaddystuck]

My wife is from tokyo so this was a bit of a scary morning, but we've heard from her family and they're okay. We've also heard from some of our friends, and they're all okay so far.

Good to hear!