Eight Kinki Fault Zones Ranked at Highest Alert Level for Major Earthquakes
The Japanese government has revised its assessment of active faults across the Kinki region for the first time in about 20 years, increasing the number of fault zones considered at the highest level of concern for earthquakes of magnitude 6.8 or greater from three to eight. (News On Japan)
The Japanese government has revised its assessment of active faults in the Kinki region, raising the number of high-risk zones for earthquakes of magnitude 6.8 or greater from three to eight. Unlike undersea earthquakes, those occurring beneath populated areas along active faults can cause intense shaking capable of collapsing structures.
The Earthquake Research Committee classifies faults into four risk categories, with S rank indicating a 3% or higher probability of a magnitude 6.8 or stronger quake within the next 30 years. The Hinagu Fault Zone, which caused the Kumamoto earthquake, had previously been classified as S rank. The latest assessment covers active faults in two prefectures and nine other prefectural-level jurisdictions in the Kinki region, marking the first major revision in about two decades.
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