The EERI Northern California Regional Chapter hosted a webinar on the M7.4 earthquake that struck offshore Japan on March 16, 2022. The earthquake’s epicenter was in the same general area as the great Tohoku earthquake of 2011. The mainshock had reverse faulting with a 57 km (40 mi) source depth. Surprisingly intense ground shaking occurred over a wide area onshore. Peak ground acceleration of 1230 gal (1.2g) was reported in Kawasaki, Miyagi Prefecture. A Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train had 16 cars of a 17-car train derailed. Fortunately, all 78 passengers and crew members aboard were unharmed. The quake damaged rails at 10 locations and approximately 90 electric poles, while severing overhead power lines at two locations. There were also 60 cases of structural damage to other facilities such as stations and viaducts. Rapid repairs were enacted and the train system resumed service 6 weeks after the earthquake.
The webinar featured two speakers from Japan:
Dr. Hirioyuki Goto of the Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, who will present on the strong ground motions observed from the earthquake.
Dr. Keita Uemura of the Department of Civil and Earth Resources Engineering, Kyoto University, who will present on damage to railway facilities of the Tohoko Shinkansen Line.
