Massive fault found beneath Japan's Mount Fuji

[AsahinaKimi]

(Reuters) - Japan's Mount Fuji may be sitting on a large, active fault that could trigger a magnitude-7 earthquake, changing the shape of the mountain and devastating nearby communities, the education ministry said on Thursday.

A survey commissioned by the ministry found a 30-km fault beneath Japan's highest mountain, believed by many to be sacred, and research results indicate it was likely to be active, a ministry official said.

If the fault sets off an earthquake, it could lead to a major landslide and hit communities at the foot of the 3,776-metre-high mountain. Further research was required, the official said.

A magnitude-9 earthquake and massive tsunami hit northern Japan last year, leaving nearly 19,000 people dead or missing and causing the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.

more..
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/11/us-japan-fuji-idUSBRE84A0JS20120511

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[trumad]

2. Poor Japan...

I have good friends that live there--- one has moved to America.

[lastlib]

3. damn scary....

...even more so than the one they found under DC last summer--"Bush's Fault"

[freshwest]

4. Ah, more trouble. Eerie similar to Rainier. But look at the population density, much greater.

It's been centuries since Rainier did its thing and that is what formed some of the land that is now built up. There are evacuation plans and alarms.

I know the Japanese have been prudent and installed alarms and also walls. But they are still recovering from the last round of earthquake and volcanic (same thing at times) activities there, not to mention the tsunami.

Please tell me:

Are there any extraordinary plans in motion for more than evacuation, and is this concerning the people in Japan more than in the past years? And is that Tokyo or another of the large cities there?

to all the people in Japan.

[Taverner]

5. Yikes!!!

That would keep me up at night....EVERY NIGHT!!!!

[malaise]

6. Isn't there a volcano in the neighborhood as well?

I couldn't survive that stress. Stay safe

[ChazInAz]

9. Sorta.

Fuji-san IS a volcano.

[rocktivity]

7. Romey will claim the fault is all Obama's, of course...

rocktivity

[FailureToCommunicate]

8. Doesn't seem like a surprise...