Important Takeaways:

• The country’s meteorological agency said the chance of a major earthquake striking near the Nankai Trough is higher than usual, and estimated it could be as strong as magnitude 9.1.
• While it said the advisory – which is expected to be in place for a week – does not necessarily mean a megaquake will occur, it urged people in the region to be prepared for evacuation if one strikes.
• While there is no formal definition of a megaquake, they are commonly considered to be tremors with a magnitude larger than 8.0.
• These seismic incidents – also called megathrust earthquakes – often come in pairs and occur when one tectonic plate is forced under another.
• Japan’s largest ever tremor was in 2011, where a magnitude 9.0 quake struck in the Pacific Ocean 45 miles (72km) east of the Oshika Peninsula.
• More than 19,000 people died from the quake and ensuing tsunami, which also caused a major incident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

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