Strength of the initial quake, measured using the Japanese intensity scale, as recorded throughout south-western Japan.

Seismic activity (orange, yellow) following the initial quake, indicated by the star. The previously known location of the Kego fault is indicated by the red line that runs from northwest to southeast.

The Fukuoka earthquake struck Fukuoka prefecture, Japan at 10:53 am JST on March 20th, 2005 and lasted for approximately 50 seconds. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) measured it as peaking at a magnitude of 7.0 and named it and its subsequent aftershocks the Fukuoka Prefecture Western Offshore Earthquakes (福岡県西方沖地震). The quake occurred along an unknown faultline in the Genkai Sea, North of Fukuoka city, and the residents of Genkai island were forced to evacuate as houses collapsed and landslides occurred in places. Investigations subsequent to the earthquake determined that the new faultline was most likely an extension of the known Kego faultline that runs through the centre of the city. Download high resolution version (802x706, 50 KB)Adopted from Japanese Wikipedia. ... Download high resolution version (802x706, 50 KB)Adopted from Japanese Wikipedia. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Fukuoka Prefecture (福岡県 Fukuoka-ken) is located on Kyushu Island, Japan. ... JST is a three letter abbreviation which may refer to: Japan standard time Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible other articles to be listed here This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Japan Meteorological Agency (気象庁) is a government agency, which is a central place responsible for gathering and reporting weather data and forecasts in Japan. ... Masanobu Fukuoka, author of The One Straw Revolution, is the pioneer of No Till grain growing (see also permaculture) Fukuoka is also the name of two towns in Japan, Fukuoka, Toyama (in Toyama Prefecture) and Fukuoka, Gifu (in Gifu Prefecture) Central Fukuoka View of Momochi, Fukuoka. ...

Fukuoka is not as seismically active as many other parts of Japan, and was known prior to the earthquake as one of Japan's safest locations in terms of natural disasters; the previous earthquake, a magnitude 5, had occurred over a hundred years ago and it had been centuries since the city had experienced a serious earthquake.

The earthquake occurred along a yet-undiscovered extension of the Kego fault in the Sea of Genkai, with Genkai-jima (Genkai island), a part of Nishi-ku, being most severely damaged by this earthquake and almost all island residents being forced to evacuate. One person was killed, 70 people were severely injured and 1017 received attention for minor injuries. Aftershocks continued intermittently throughout the following weeks as construction crews worked to rebuild damaged buildings throughout the city. Traditional Japanese houses, particularly in the areas of Daimyo and Imaizumi, were the most heavily damaged and many were marked for demolition. Insurance payments for damages were estimated at approximately 15.8 billion yen. Aftershocks are earthquakes of smaller magnitude that follow a large quake. ...

Fukuoka Building, located in Fukuoka's popular shopping district, sustained serious damage during the initial quake as many of its windows shattered.

A wall, located in Yakuin, Chuo-ku, damaged by the March 20, 2005 earthquake.

Fukuoka's most famous major fault, the Kego fault, runs northwest to southeast, roughly parallel to Nishitetsu's Omuta train line, and was thought to be 22 km long, terminating at Hakata Bay. It is estimated to be produce earthquakes as strong as magnitude 7 at the epicenter approximately once every 15,000 years. When an epicenter is located at a depth of 10km, it would cause an earthquake of a lower-6 magnitude (similar to the March 20, 2005 earthquake) in downtown Fukuoka. The probability of an earthquake along the known length of the Kego fault occurring within 30 years was estimated at 0.4% prior to the March 20, 2005 earthquake, but this probability has been revised upwards since. According to a National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology presentation April 12, 2005[1] (http://www.asahi.com/special/050320/TKY200504120267.html), supposing the last Kego earthquake had occurred 13,000 years ago, the probability of major activity within 30 years had been revised to 7%, or it were 7,000 years ago, the probability had been revised to 4%. Suppose that an earthquake had occurred along the Kego fault within the last 2000 years, the risk would be unchanged. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Collapsed wall in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, following the Earthquake of March 20, 2005. ... Collapsed wall in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, following the Earthquake of March 20, 2005. ... Ōmuta (大牟田市; -shi) is a city located in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. ... The word probability derives from the Latin probare (to prove, or to test). ...

M5.8 aftershock on April 20

A new after-quake hit at 6:11 a.m. April 20th on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, the Central Meteorological Agency reported. Although considerable time had passed since the first quake, the aftershock was not unexpected. The quake, which swayed buildings and shattered some outer walls, was measured to have magnitude of 5.8. 2 and 56 people were severely and slightly injured and treated at a hospital in Fukuoka due to the quake and there were temporary closures of major highways, railway services and Fukuoka's airport. Following reports that the city has only prepared for earthquakes up to a magnitude of 6.5, the aftershock renewed fears that the quakes[2] (http://www.sevo.kyushu-u.ac.jp/HYPO/) might cause the Kego faultline to become active again beneath Fukuoka, leading to a an earthquake as big as, or bigger than, the March 20th quake. April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ...

In order to more accurately estimate the risk of ongoing or increased seismic activity, teams from Tokyo University, Kochi University, Hiroshima University and Oita University surveyed Hakata Bay to determine how far the Kego fault extends. Preliminary results, announced May 1, 2005 indicated that the fault extends nearly as far as Nokonoshima, 2.5 km out in to the bay, though no sign of recent activity along the fault was uncovered. The teams also discovered a new fault in the Higashi-ku portion of Hakata Bay. Later findings indicated that the faultline responsible for both the March 20th and April 20th quakes was likely an extension of the Kego fault, making its total length approximately 40 km. The Yasuda Auditorium on the University of Tokyos Hongo Campus. ... Hiroshima University, in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, was established in 1949, by the merger of a number of educational institutions in the city. ... ŌOita (大分市; -shi) is the capital city of Oita Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ...

External links

• Seismic activity in and around Kyushu, courtesy of Kyushu University (http://www.sevo.kyushu-u.ac.jp/HYPO/index-e.html)
• 20th March 2005 Earthquake eye-witness report (http://go-fubar.com/mag_en/articles/161/)