Japan is facing the risk of a possible “megaquake” in the near future, following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that occurred off the southern coast on Thursday.
If such a megaquake were to occur, it could potentially cause a dangerous tsunami that could put thousands of lives at risk.
Japan’s meteorological agency has published a map showing which parts of the country could be struck by a tsunami in the event of a megaquake in the Nankai Trough.
The color-coded map shows the potential tsunami height across the region, with some areas facing waves as high as 20 meters, or approximately 65 feet.
The areas most at risk are marked as yellow or red. In yellow areas, waves could reach between 2 and 5 meters, or around 6 to 16 feet.
In red areas, waves could reach between 10 and 20 meters, or around 33 to 65 feet.
The areas at risk include parts of Shizuoka Prefecture through Miyazaki Prefecture, which could experience a seismic intensity of 7, with surrounding areas also affected.
A large tsunami exceeding 10 meters could also hit a wide area along the Pacific coast from the Kanto region to the Kyushu region.
Newsweek reached out to Japan’s meteorological agency via email.
On Thursday, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Hyuga-nada Sea off the southern island of Kyushu. Mostly minor injuries were reported, and no deaths.
In response, the country’s meteorological agency issued a “caution” level of warning on Thursday about a possible megaquake, the first time it had issued such a warning.
The next step up would be an “alert,” which would advise residents to evacuate from at-risk areas.
The agency said that the likelihood of an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or higher significantly increases for approximately a week following a magnitude 7 quake.
The Nankai Trough forms a trench-like topography on the seabed where the Philippine Sea Plate, the oceanic plate, and the Eurasian Plate, the land plate, meet.
As the Philippine Sea Plate sinks beneath the Eurasian Plate, strain accumulates until it releases in the form of a powerful earthquake, known as a Nankai Trough earthquake.
Government officials said they were closely monitoring the situation.
“We urge everyone to take preventive measures such as preventing furniture from falling over, checking evacuation routes and means of communications with their family, and evacuating immediately in case of an earthquake,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a press conference Friday.
According to damage assessments published by the government in 2012, a tsunami caused by a Nankai Trough megaquake could result in up to 224,000 deaths.
These deaths could be reduced by roughly 80% if successful evacuation efforts were carried out immediately after the earthquake.
Japan is highly susceptible to earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where multiple tectonic plates meet and cause frequent seismic activity.
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