Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant

Engineers at Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant have managed to lay a cable to reactor 2, the UN's nuclear watchdog reports.

Restoring power should enable engineers to restart the pumps which send coolant over the reactor.

Workers at Fukushima have been battling to prevent fuel in the reactors from overheating since Friday's magnitude 9.0 quake and subsequent tsunami.

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Small Japanese village vanishes after tsunami

Japan is facing mounting humanitarian and nuclear emergencies as the death toll from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on Friday is rising rapidly as relief efforts intensify.

The disaster has left more than 10,000 people dead, many thousands homeless and millions without water, power, heat or transportation.

Nuclear hazards have also added to the problems as two reactors at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant exploded, raising fears of leaking radiations and a nuclear meltdown, which will bring added health and environmental problems.

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

earthquake in japan 2010

The 2010 Bonin Islands earthquake occurred on December 21, 2010 when a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off of the Bonin Islands, Japan.

The quake occurred at about 0220 local time (1720 UTC), about 155 kilometres (96 mi) east of the Bonin Islands, at an depth of around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi).

japan earthquake kobe

japan earthquake kobe

japan earthquake kobe

japan earthquake kobe

japan earthquake kobe

japan earthquake kobe

Why did the earthquake happen here?

Three crustal plates meet near to the coast of Japan. Close to Kobe, the denser oceanic Philippines Plate is being subducted beneath the lighter continental Eurasian Plate at a rate of about 10 centimetres per year. The Japanese island arc has been formed from the molten magma released by the melting Philippines Plate. Earthquakes are very common here and happen because of the friction resulting from the two plates colliding along this destructive margin. [In 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake killed 140,000 people in this area.] The great destruction which resulted from the 1995 Kobe Earthquake was due to the shallow depth of the focus which was only about 16 kms. below the surface and the fact that the epicentre occurred close to a very heavily populated area. Seismic shockwaves travelled from Awaji Island (the epicentre) along the Nojima Fault to the cities of Kobe and Osaka.

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

earthquake in tokyo japan 2011

Tokyo - March 11 was a devastating day for Japan, after a magnitude-8.9 offshore earthquake violently rattled the nation’s eastern coast before unleashing a deadly tsunami that swept away cars, homes and businesses as it touched land.

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan tsunami 2011 pics

japan earthquake map

japan earthquake map

japan earthquake map

japan earthquake map

japan earthquake map

japan earthquake

japan earthquake

japan earthquake

japan earthquake

japan earthquake

japan earthquake