Satellite images reveal that the earthquake has raised a portion of the coastal land above the water. The Noto Peninsula has gained an area nearly equivalent to two football fields.
Noto Peninsula, Japan. (Photo: JAXA).
According to the satellite images, the Noto Peninsula in Japan has changed and expanded following a strong earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale that occurred on January 1, 2024.
Preliminary analysis from satellite images and ground surveys indicates that the earthquake raised the ground along the coast by approximately 4 meters. This means that the continental shelf along the coast has risen above the water in several areas of the Noto Peninsula, creating new beaches.
Traces next to structures at Kaiso fishing port indicate that this area was previously submerged underwater and has now emerged after the earthquake. (Photo: Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo).
The western part of the Noto Peninsula in June 2023 (left) and January 2024 (right) shows that the coastal area has expanded after the earthquake. (Photo: JAXA).
Information from the University of Tokyo indicates that in some areas, the earthquake has expanded the coastline by up to 250 meters, which is equivalent to double the length of a football field in the United States.
Animated image showing how the coastline changed after the earthquake. (Photo: JAXA).
Local fishermen in the bay of the Noto Peninsula reported that “the entire coastline was raised at the moment the earthquake and tsunami occurred, and the waves in the bay did not reach the port where the land had been elevated.”
A new beach appeared east of Kaiso fishing port. The photo was taken two days after the earthquake. (Photo: Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo).
The Japan Geospatial Information Authority has released preliminary analyses of the Noto Peninsula. By comparing satellite images from June 2023 with photos taken a few days after the earthquake, they found that several new coastlines have emerged across the peninsula.
The University of Tokyo has stated that they will continue their investigations along the coastline in this area.
