A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck Hokkaido in Japan during the afternoon of May 31, the nation’s Meteorological Agency stated, adding that it struck at a depth of 20km.
The agency identified the epicenter of the quake off the eastern coast of Hokkaido and added that it had not issued a tsunami warning.
No damage was immediately reported.
Japan sits right in the middle of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped region that covers the Pacific Ocean basin.
Additionally, it’s an area with high levels of volcanoes and seismic activity that produce about 90% of the Earth’s earthquakes.
The high activity of the Ring of Fire results from the constant subduction of oceanic plates beneath continental plates. These places Japan not only at risk of earthquakes but also volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.
The world rightly regards Japan as one of the most earthquake-prone countries.
The main cause for such tectonic activity is the nation’s special geographical position. Located at the intersection of four large tectonic plates, Japan sees a complicated movement of geological forces, which result in recurring earthquakes.
In particular, the Pacific Plate, Philippine Sea Plate, Eurasian Plate, and North American Plate all intersect underneath or close to the Japanese archipelago.
This convergence gives rise to huge pressure forces and friction that release energy in the form of earthquakes. Essentially, Japan is located on a hotbed of geology, which renders geologically it an extremely vulnerable nation to seismic activity.
