Japan tsunami shifts earth on its axis; island moved

Tokyo, Mar 14: The world watched and the land of rising Sun - Japan experienced a devastating tsunami following an earthquake of 8.9 magnitude on Friday, Mar 11. People are now aware of Japan's pathetic condition which has been enhanced by nuclear explosion and volcano eruption. But a recent report shows that Friday's tsunami proved as the major catastrophe not only Japan but for the whole world.

Recent media reports claimed that Friday's massive earthquake shifted the Earth on its axis and moved an island of Japan. Italian institute estimated that Japan earthquake shifted Earth on its axis by as much as 4 inches as CNN reported.

"At this point, we know that one GPS station moved (8 feet), and we have seen a map from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority) in Japan showing the pattern of shift over a large area is consistent with about that much shift of the land mass," CNN quoted a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey, Kenneth Hudnut as saying.

However, after earthquake, tsunami and nuclear explosion in several nuclear plants, fresh news about volcano eruption feared the people of the country. Local media reported that a volcano, sending ash and rocks up to four kilometres (two and a half miles) into the air, erupted on Sunday, Mar 13 in southwestern Japan.

Till now, Japan officially claimed that death toll mounted to 2,000. But a police official informed that the death toll might have crossed 10,000 in Miyagi alone. Miyagi was one of the worst tsunami effected place in the country.

Rescue operations reportedly are still on but millions of survivors are left without drinking water, electricity and proper food. Citing the nuclear explosions and fear of meltdown, survivors now are scared of radiation. On Sunday, Mar 13, government officials confirmed 18 people who tested positive of radiation poisoning.

"First I was worried about the quake, now I'm worried about radiation. I live near the plants, so I came here to find out if I'm OK. I tested negative, but I don't know what to do next," local media quoted a survivor who stays near Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Japan ordered to evacuate almost 170,000 people from the area near the damaged nuclear power plant, informed the UN nuclear watchdog. People were ordered out of a 20-kilometre radius surrounding the Fukushima, sources reported.

OneIndia News