Is science the answer to everything? People across Japan had just welcomed a new year. But their hopes for 2024 were quickly shattered by a huge earthquake.
Ninety seconds that shattered new year dreams
Is science the answer to everything? People across Japan had just welcomed a new year. But their hopes for 2024 were quickly shattered by a huge earthquake.
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It was just after 4pm when the siren on Suranjana Tewari's phone suddenly went off. "Earthquake Early Warning," read the text with it. "Strong shaking is expected soon. Stay calm and seek shelter nearby."
The bus she was on stopped. The earthquake that followed lasted only a minute and a half. But it was enough to make buildings fall over and rip roads wide open.
People living in Japan are used to earthquakes. They happen often because Japan sits on the edge of the Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean of the world and covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface. , on the edge of one of the big tectonic platesPieces of the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They are roughly 100km thick and are moving slowly. that make up the Earth. Sometimes these plates move, causing the ground to shake.
The big fear after the earthquake was that it would cause a huge wave in the ocean, known as a tsunamiA Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.. In 2011, an earthquake caused a tsunami to hit Japan, killing many people.
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This time, there was no tsunami. But rescuers are still looking for people who might be trapped in damaged buildings.
Japan has one of the best earthquake warning systems in the world. And its scientists and designers are also very good at making buildings that do not fall over even when there are big earthquakes.
They cannot stop the earthquakes. But they hope that this has saved many lives over the last few years.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Is science the answer to everything? </h5>
Yes! Without Japan's amazing warning system and earthquake-proof buildings, the damage would have been a lot worse.
No! There is nothing scientists can do to stop earthquakes. The natural forces of the Earth are much more powerful than we are.
Pacific Ocean - The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean of the world and covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface.
Tectonic plates - Pieces of the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They are roughly 100km thick and are moving slowly.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.
Ninety seconds that shattered new year dreams

Glossary
Pacific Ocean - The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean of the world and covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface.
Tectonic plates - Pieces of the Earth’s crust and uppermost mantle. They are roughly 100km thick and are moving slowly.
Tsunami - A Japanese word describing a succession of waves caused when an earthquake or volcano displaces a large body of water.