Nation set to suffer aftershocks for months

THE Japanese people are likely to feel strong aftershocks for another one to three months following yesterday’s devastating earthquake, according to an Irish expert in Japanese earthquakes.

NUI Galway lecturer in geography, Dr Kevin Hickey said while the television images of the 6-10 metre tsunami are terrifying, the Japanese are as prepared for such eventualities as anyone can be. The tsunami wave was generated as a massive earthquake off the northeastern coast displaced a huge body of water, causing it to move at a ferocious speed.

“Most people are killed in tsunamis by falling debris. It’s not really a wave, you see, it’s a wall of water travelling with huge force. There are substantial coastal barriers and electronically operated gates along the coastal areas of Japan. Japan also has a system of raised platforms around the coast where people can run to safety. However, as this earthquake has shown, you can’t completely enclose a coastline,” he said.