A magnitude 8.9 earthquake hit

Sendai, Japan

March 10, 2011

The location of the epicenter, near Sendai, Japan.

Shoppers in a bookstore shield themselves from the collapsing ceiling.

Magnitudes of foreshocks and aftershocks of the March 10th quake
(click on image to enlarge)

Waves from the quake as they appeared on the GRCC seismometer.
The oscillations begin at the left at time 6:00 with the p-waves or longitudinal
waves since they are the fastest moving. After the p-waves have passed, the
larger amplitude s-waves (transverse waves) begin just before 6:10.  Just before
6:20, the largest amplitude oscillations come from the arrival of the slower moving
surface waves.  Click on the image to enlarge.

Much of the damage came from tsunamis such as this one near Sendai.