Is science the answer to everything? People across Japan had gathered to welcome 2024 when a powerful earthquake put an end to their celebrations and brought chaos to the country.
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Devastating quake: 1,000 rescuers have been searching for people buried under the ruins. Glossary
Magnitude - The size of something. Often used to refer to earthquakes.
Epicentre - The central focus of something. In an earthquake, the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus.
Peninsula - A piece of land that sticks out from a larger area and is mostly surrounded by water.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.
Materialise - Happen, or become fact.
Geologists - People who study the earth's physical structure, especially rocks.
Pacific Rim - The countries on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Subduction zones - Spots where two tectonic plates collide and one dives, or subducts, under the other.
Tectonic plates - Pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle. They are roughly 100km thick and are moving slowly.
Mantle - The layer between the Earth’s outer core and the crust. The semi-solid layer of rock is made mostly out of iron, magnesium and silicon.