THE EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUCK off the Pacific coast of Japan on Friday 11 March, was reported by the USGS (US Geological Survey) to be magnitude 8.9, but the Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday upgraded it to magnitude 9.0, making it perhaps the fourth largest earthquake since records began.
"This data is computed from seismometers located across the world," says Professor Mike Sandiford a geologist at Melbourne University. "So the magnitude cannot be accurately calculated immediately after the event; it takes a few days." It's possible that the magnitude of the quake will be upgraded even further, he says.
Originating near Sendai, in the north east, the Japanese quake and the resulting tsunami has caused massive damage and may even lead to volcanic activity. The death toll could exceed 10,000 according to some reports, with many billions of dollars worth of damage.
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