EDITORIAL: Disaster in Chile

A very powerful earthquake struck Chile on Saturday. It was centered offshore deep below the seabed and had a magnitude of 8.8.

The energy released by this quake was 500 times greater than that of the temblor which recently devastated Haiti.

The tsunami caused by the Chile earthquake swept across the Pacific Ocean during the course of nearly a full day and a night and reached the shores of the Japanese archipelago on Sunday. Areas from northern Hokkaido to southern Kyushu and Okinawa Prefecture were affected.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first major tsunami warning in 17 years for the nation's Pacific coastline from Aomori to Miyagi prefectures. The agency feared a tsunami of more than 3 meters in height could hit.

Many local governments instructed residents to evacuate. Railway services along the seaboard were canceled and many roads were closed to traffic. Countless people were inconvenienced throughout the day.

Some people evacuated to higher ground and spent an anxious time waiting for the all-clear. The largest tsunami to make landfall were more than 1 meter high. Roads and buildings were flooded in many areas. It was fortunate that no serious damage occurred.

Just 50 years ago, in May 1960, Chile was shaken by an earthquake that registered a magnitude of 9.5, the largest since the 20th century dawned. About a day later, Japan was hit by big tsunami waves.

At the time, scientists were not able to make tsunami predictions. The meteorological agency only issued a tsunami warning after waves had reached the nation's shores. Tsunami as high as 5 meters or more hit the Sanriku area of the Tohoku region along the Pacific Ocean before dawn, killing more than 140 people.

Remote Pacific islands also reported huge tsunami. On Easter Island, famous moai statues were destroyed.

A tsunami that strikes in the absence of a local earthquake is called a "distant tsunami." A tsunami is frightening because it arrives without warning. Also, the second and third rounds of waves tend to be more destructive.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Hawaii was created in the aftermath of the tsunami disasters caused by the 1960 Chile earthquake. It was done with the collaboration of the Pacific Rim countries.

In this latest quake, the center reacted swiftly and sent out a warning to Pacific Rim countries, including Japan.

The December 2004 earthquake off Sumatra triggered tsunami that devastated Indian Ocean coastlines. Lessons learned from that disaster have also been incorporated into the efforts to create a wider regional network for observation and surveillance of earthquakes and tsunami.

This represents a tremendous stride forward. It is now possible to predict a tsunami strike and give an approximate height of the wave. Improving the accuracy of the predictions will ensure that there is less damage.

A tsunami is horrific. The sea itself swells and rushes toward coasts in one gigantic mass. When the water recedes, the powerful ebb sucks everything in. Even if the water is less than 1 meter high, a grown person can be swept away.

Chile was hit by the massive earthquake in the early hours and has suffered enormous damage. As another quake-prone country, Japan should offer assistance.

On this occasion, the tsunami alert was issued in Japan during the day on a weekend. However, natural disasters can occur at any time, and when we least expect them.

--The Asahi Shimbun, March 1