An official death toll of 8,000 has been published in Japan, yet it is estimated that

more than 12,000 more were killed or are missing due to the horrific earthquake, and the
aftermath tsunami, that hit Japan’s northeastern coast on the eleventh of March. 387,000
Japanese have been forced from their homes, and are now staying in temporary
accommodation. Fifteen have died while in refugee camps.

The unsuspected earthquake hit at 2:46 in the afternoon, lasting for two minutes.
The quake holds a terrifying 9.0 magnitude on the Richter scale out of 10.0, and holds the
ranking of the fifth largest earthquake since 1900. Immediately following, a tsunami
reaching up to forty feet hit the coasts of the island, washing away destruction with more
destruction.

Unfortunately, the havoc is not yet over. Japan now finds itself struggling to avoid
powerful radiation from its several nuclear power sectors. Eleven reactors at four
different sites shut down automatically after the earthquake.

Tokyo Electric Power Company holds two plants in Fukushima, Daiichi and
Daini. At Daiichi, three of six nuclear reactors shut down automatically without issues.
The three remaining had been previously shut down for maintenance. Daini, 11.5 km
away from Daiichi, had all four of their reactors powered off by default, but had issues
with cooling when the emergency generator shut down due to the tsunami. Japan Atomic
Power Company’s 1,100-megawatt Tokai Donai reactor in Iberaki shut down without any
problems.

After immediate shutdowns, radiation levels have caused issues in the already
horror-stricken environment. On March 12th, radiation levels surged to seven times what
is healthy for a human to be near in one year. By March fourteenth, the radiation levels
fell to normal. The International Atomic Agency reports that, “The current assumption of
the Japanese officials is that the increased level may have been due to a release of
radioactive material from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.”

International relief efforts have been spewing in to help, with 113 countries and
regions and 24 international organizations offering their services. On the seventeenth, the
US government chartered its first evacuation flights to evacuate American citizens out of
Japan. The city of Khanclahar in Afghanistan has donated $50,000 toward the effort, and
Estonia has sent 20,000 euros. China, in addition to 30 million yuan, sent a fifteen
member rescue team to Japan. France has sent 134 personnel to aid victims, and Britain
has sent a fire brigade as well as search and rescue officials. The Canadian Red Cross has
sent 25,000 woven blankets to Japan and a seventeen-member Disaster Victim
Identification Team.

The earthquake and following tsunami have not only provoked collapse in Japan,
but have created a global shift. The Earth’s mass was shifted, shortening the length of a
day by up to 1.8 microseconds (one millionth of a second). The global axis has also been
moved 6.5 inches toward 133 degree east longitude, and caused a rift fifteen miles below
the ocean floor stretching 1866 miles long and 93 miles wide. Not only are these new
measurements fascinating, but Japan itself was shifted an entire 2.4 meters towards the
U.S.

Japan marks itself along major fault lines along the Pacific. Scientists are now
concerned about what may be coming next. New Zealand, located among another fault
line in the Ring of Fire, was hit by an earthquake last year February 22nd with a
magnitude of 8.8, leaving only one area along the ring of fire to be hit, California.
According to researchers, the San Andreas fault in San Francisco last ruptured in 1906,
leaving terror throughout the city. Recent reports have emerged of a widespread email
and twitter post entitled, “8.4 Earthquake California Prediction.” Currently, many argue
that the alleged warning is false, as the same exact warning of the same exact magnitude
was posted last year, on April 14th, 2010.

Japan is still suffering from not only ruined homes, lack of food and water,
damages to health from radiation poisoning, and loss of loved ones, but also emotional
and physical horrors of every kind. Please donate to The American Red Cross by texting
REDCROSS to 90999 or going online to redcross.org.