7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes off Japanese coast

February 28, 2010 An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 Mw struck the Ryukyu Islands, off the coast of Japan on Friday morning at 5:31am (20:31 UTC). A tsunami warning had been put in place. The precaution was cancelled later. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no "destructive threat" from the tsunami. At its center, the depth of the earthquake had been measured at ten kilometers (6.2 miles).

At 5:57am local time (20:57 UTC), the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a ten centimetre (four inch) tsunami Nanjō, Okinawa. Initially the agency had predicted that the depth of the tsunami would be three feet (one metre). There were no reports of damage, although, according to the Agency, "there may be slight sea level changes from now on."

The islands were advised to evacuate from the seashore were Okinawa Islands, Amami Islands and Tokara Islands. Ivan Brackin, a resident of Yoron Island, described his experience of the earthquake. "I woke up to violent shudders that lasted about six seconds then a pause followed by a couple of sharp jumps," he stated. "Jumpers are the most dangerous so that sent me under the desk."