<div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center se-image-banner" contenteditable="false"><figure style="margin: auto;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/en-naraspace-chosunBiz-banner.png" alt="" data-rotate="" data-proportion="true" data-rotatex="" data-rotatey="" data-align="center" data-size="," data-percentage="auto,auto" data-file-name="en-naraspace-chosunBiz-banner.png" data-file-size="0" data-origin="," data-index="0"></figure></div> <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center"><figure style="width: 800px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-JAPAN-Earthquake-Location.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></figure></div> On January 1, 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan. This marked the largest earthquake in Japan since the Great East Japan Earthquake. The earthquake was followed by aftershocks that continued until January 9th. The event resulted in significant damage to some areas, with buildings collapsing and runways at airports being damaged. It caused substantial property and human casualties. Thousands of earthquakes occur worldwide each year, and Japan, located within the Pacific Ring of Fire where earthquakes are most frequent, has been dedicating significant efforts to disaster management and emergency response for earthquakes. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) also conducts coastline comparisons through satellite imagery, making satellite images invaluable in identifying and analyzing affected areas in such disaster and emergency situations. <blockquote class="__se__custom__vertical-blockquote">Noto Peninsula Earthquake as Observed by Artificial Satellites </blockquote> <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-Noto-Peninsula-Damage-situation.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div> In the case of Ishikawa Prefecture, it exhibited significantly higher numbers of casualties and residential damage compared to other neighboring Dodo Prefectures in the Noto Peninsula, which is adjacent to the earthquake epicenter. Therefore, Nara Space intends to conduct satellite analysis centered around Ishikawa Prefecture to examine the before-and-after conditions of the Noto Peninsula earthquake using artificial satellites. <blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">Ishikawa Prefecture, Wajima City, Noto Airport</blockquote> <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-230307-Noto-Airport.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240118-Noto-Airport.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div> ​<a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240102_29/">The Japan Broadcasting Corporation NHK</a> reported the discovery of multiple cracks on the roads near Noto Airport and the airport&apos;s runways. Additionally, it was reported that approximately 500 local residents who had sought refuge at the airport were placed under isolation. High-resolution satellite images confirmed an increase in the number of vehicles in the airport parking lot. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-230307-Noto-Airport-parking-lot.png" alt="" origin-size="2000,1000" style=""><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240118-Noto-Airport-parking-lot.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div> The airport terminal building&apos;s ceiling was damaged, leading the evacuated local residents to take shelter in buses and rental cars within the airport&apos;s parking lot. As a result, the airport parking lot was observed to be completely filled with vehicles. <blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">Downtown Area of Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture </blockquote> <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-Japan Meteorological Agency.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="1908,1166"></figure></div>Source : Japan Meteorological Agency (https://www.data.jma.go.jp/) In the downtown area of Wajima City, located in Ishikawa Prefecture, house collapses due to fires were reported, resulting in multiple injuries. It was also noted that the earthquake had loosened the ground, increasing the soil instability and hazard level in Wajima City. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-230307-Japan-Wajimashi.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1500,2000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240102-Japan-Wajimashi.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1500,2000"></img-comparison-slider></div>* Spatial Resolution: The minimum unit of the Earth&apos;s surface that can be distinguished by a satellite sensor (camera), the ability to differentiate between closely located objects in an image. Using high-resolution Pleiades satellite imagery with a spatial resolution of 0.5 meters*, it was confirmed that there were no soil-related disasters in Wajima City. However, due to the weakened ground, a mixture of muddy water was observed flowing into the sea. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-230307-Japan-Wajimashi-zoom.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240102-Japan-Wajimashi-zoom.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div> In Wajima City, one of the areas particularly hard-hit by the disaster was the Wajima Asaichi Street, known as one of Japan&apos;s top three morning markets (Asaichi). <a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240119/k10014327711000.html">NHK</a> reported that over 200 shops and homes were engulfed in flames on Asaichi Street alone. The historic street, adorned with traditional buildings, was consumed by the fire triggered by the earthquake, resulting in an estimated damage area of approximately 52,099 square meters. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-230307-Japan-Fugeshi Elementary School.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240102-Japan-Fugeshi Elementary School.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div> Furthermore, the playground of the privately-run Fuegashi Elementary School in Wajima, designated as an earthquake shelter, was observed to be filled with evacuation vehicles, in contrast to its empty state before the earthquake. <blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">Power Outage Damages in Wajima City as Seen from Satellites </blockquote> According to <a href="https://www.rikuden.co.jp/nw/teiden/f2/now/otj030.html">Hokuriku Electric Power Transmission and Distribution,</a> as of January 15th, Ishikawa Prefecture has been experiencing power outages affecting over 8,800 households, with ongoing efforts for recovery. Among them, Wajima City in Ishikawa Prefecture, which was one of the hardest-hit areas, has seen the restoration of power to around 5,000 households. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-231217-VIIRS-Before.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240115-VIIRS-After.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></img-comparison-slider></div> Using VIIRS Nighttime Light Observation with the Day/Night Band (DNB), which allows us to observe light and heat emissions on the Earth&apos;s surface even during nighttime, we analyzed the intensity of light in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The average light intensity, which was 0.82 before the earthquake, decreased to 0.57 just one month after the earthquake, demonstrating a significant reduction in brightness. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-VIIRS-Diff.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div> After analyzing the difference in nighttime light intensity before and after the earthquake, it was observed that the intensity of light increased significantly around the areas of Wajima Municipal Fuegashi Elementary School, which is being used as an evacuation center, and Noto Airport in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. However, excluding the two evacuation centers, in most areas, the intensity of light decreased. In fact, approximately 87.1% (371.33 km²) of Wajima City experienced a reduction in light intensity. <blockquote class="__se__custom__normal-blockquote">Changes in Northern Noto Peninsula After the Earthquake </blockquote> ​<a href="https://ajg-disaster.blogspot.com/2024/01/2024_2.html">The Japan Geographical Society Disaster Response Committee</a> conducted a review of coastal terrain changes due to the Noto Peninsula earthquake, which resulted in an expansion of the land area in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula by approximately 4.4 km². Nara Space conducted satellite analysis to closely examine how the land area changed before and after the earthquake in the coastal terrain of northern Noto Peninsula. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-Noto-Peninsula-Land-Emergence.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="1800,2000"></figure></div> Using the backscattering coefficient from Sentinel-1 satellite&apos;s Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Nara Space utilized its coastline extraction technology to extract the land area of the Noto Peninsula before and after the earthquake. In the analyzed region by Nara Space, it was observed that approximately 91.3 km (18.3%) of the total coastline length of 499 km had expanded due to the earthquake. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-center"><figure style="width: 800px;"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-Noto-Peninsula-Land-Emergence-Zoom.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1500"></figure></div> In particular, the area near Minazuki Bay in the northern part of Noto Peninsula experienced the most significant changes compared to before the earthquake. The coastline length increased by 1,389 meters, and the land area expanded by 1.4 km² after the earthquake. <div class="img-compare"><img-comparison-slider class="slider-with-animated-handle"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-231230-Noto-Peninsula-Earthquake-Before.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1500"><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-240118-Noto-Peninsula-Earthquake-After.png" alt="" style="width: 800px; height: auto;" origin-size="1000,1500"></img-comparison-slider></div> Before the earthquake, the area near Minazuki Bay had a land area of 83.3 km². After the earthquake, the land area increased by 1.4 km², totaling 84.7 km², which appears to be a result of ground subsidence due to seismic activity. Japan is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where major tectonic and volcanic activities overlap, making it a region prone to frequent seismic activity. In such a seismic-prone region, large earthquakes can lead to a variety of damages and challenges. <div class="se-component se-image-container __se__float-none"><figure><img src="https://ep-insight.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/public/35/en-Earthquake-Tsunami.png" alt="" style="" origin-size="2000,1000"></figure></div> Given that the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred on January 1st in the Noto Peninsula, and it had an impact on South Korea, which is adjacent to Japan, it is crucial to exercise special caution. Therefore, the use of satellite analysis can be a valuable tool in earthquake damage assessment and disaster management, as demonstrated by the previously examined techniques such as time-series monitoring, nighttime light intensity comparison, and coastline monitoring.

Noto Peninsula, Japan, Experiences Largest Earthquake Since Tohoku Earthquake

You May Like