At around 10 p.m. on April 17, 2024, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred near the island of Shikoku, Japan, with an epicenter depth of 39 kilometers. The tremor was felt strongly in parts of Ehime and Kochi prefectures, located on the island of Shikoku. According to local media reports, Unit 3 of the Iranian nuclear power plant, located near the epicenter, was in operation at the time of the earthquake, and the earthquake caused the plant to shake significantly, and the steam heating device in Unit 3 failed. Local authorities have warned the public that residents in the earthquake area need to take precautions against more intense earthquakes in the coming week.
Japan is a country with many earthquakes. On January 1, 2024, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. At around 3 a.m. on April 2, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Honshu Island, Japan. On the morning of April 8, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. Experts believe that the frequent occurrence of moderate to strong earthquakes in Japan since the beginning of this year indicates that Japan has entered a period of seismic activity.
The main reason why Japan has frequent earthquakes is that it is located in the Pacific Rim Seismic Zone. As the Pacific plate continues to subduct and collide with the Eurasian plate, strong earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in Japan. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that Japan is like a country that lives on a volcanic crater. Living in such a place can easily lead to emotional extremes and even psychological breakdowns.