Fukushima issued with small tsunami alert

The USGS has just reported that a 7.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Fukushima (at about 10 km depth).  The quake has resulted in the administration of a tsunami warning; this time much smaller than the version that struck the coast in 2011.  Today's earthquake was a normal slip-strike quake rather than the devastating megathrust variety, resulting in a much smaller (3.0 feet) lifting of the oceans being predicted.

However, these small tsunami effects can still be dangerous for those in low-lying coastal areas; a bystander was swept out to sea in 2011 in Crescent City, California when he and his friends went down to photograph the incoming waves from the Japan earthquake.

Remember, if you are in the zone of a tsunami warning- no matter how small- stay to higher ground and resist the urge to watch from unsafe locations.

To keep up on recent earthquakes, visit the USGS's Earthquakes Page- you might be surprised how common they are!