Land Expanded by Noto Peninsula in Japan... Impact of 'Ground Uplift'

Coastline Extended Up to 175m Seaward
110 Dead... Largest Since Kumamoto Earthquake in 8 Years

Analysis shows that the coastline expanded seawards by up to 175 meters due to a magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, on New Year's Day.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida holding a press conference related to Gangjin
Photo by AP News

This result comes from a research team led by Professor Hideo Koto of Hiroshima University, who analyzed ground deformation and tsunami effects along approximately 50 km of coastline from Suzu City in the northeastern part of the Noto Peninsula to Wajima City. On the 6th, local foreign media reported based on this investigation that "almost all the ground in the surveyed area was uplifted by the earthquake, expanding the land area, and at Kawahura in Suzu City, the coastline extended 175 meters seawards."

The expanded area amounts to 2.4 square kilometers (726,000 pyeong). Several harbors along the northern coast of the Noto Peninsula have almost completely lost seawater.

Photos taken by a French artificial satellite on the 2nd, the day after the earthquake, also captured the absence of seawater at the Osawa harbor in Wajima City. Professor Koto attributed this to the effects of uplift as well.

Earlier, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan announced on the 2nd that real-time analysis of observation data (GPS) before and after the earthquake showed major crustal movements around Ishikawa Prefecture, including a provisional westward shift of 1.3 meters in Wajima City. The authority also confirmed ground uplift of up to approximately 3 meters in Wajima City through satellite radar observations.

Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 100... First Time in 8 Years

As of the 5th, the sixth day since the earthquake occurred, the death toll has surpassed 100. According to Kyodo News and others, as of 1 p.m. that day, the number of confirmed deaths reached 110. Sixteen new deaths were reported in Wajima City and Anamizu on that day.

Japanese Self-Defense Forces Conducting Earthquake Rescue Operations
Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

The death toll exceeding 100 is the first time in eight years since the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, which resulted in 276 deaths including earthquake-related fatalities. The number of residents reported as "missing" by Ishikawa Prefecture stands at 211, raising concerns that the casualty count may increase further.