On the first day of the New Year in 2024, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan (7.6 in Japan). It not only caused hundreds of casualties and the collapse of a large number of buildings, but also caused significant changes in the local crust. From the footage of my country's Jilin-1 satellite, we can see shocking changes in the coastline.
Coastline near Wajima City on the west coast of Japan
Satellite images of part of the coastline of Wajima City, Japan on August 1, 2023 (left) and January 5, 2024
After the earthquake, the seabed along the coast from Suzu City through Wajima City to Shiga Town rose out of the water, with a total length of about 85 kilometers.
The earthquake caused the seafloor to rise by about 4 meters in the Minazuki Bay area of Wajima City, causing the coastline to expand into the sea by about 250 meters, equivalent to the length of 2.2 American football fields, and the land area along the coast also expanded.
Satellite images of part of the coastline and urban area of Wajima City, Japan on August 1, 2023 (left) and January 5, 2024
Comparison of the coastline near Wajima City on the west coast of Japan before and after the earthquake
At present, the investigation of the coastal area is still ongoing.