The 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake occurred on January 1st in 2024 with a maximum intensity of 7, in the northwestern part of Japan. The earthquake caused a magnitude 7.6 at the depth of about 15 km in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. The epicentre was in the city of Suzu, 42 km northeast of the town of Anamizu. The JMA magnitude (Mj) of the earthquake was 7.6, which is a rare magnitude for an inland earthquake in Japan. The maximum intensity observed was intensity 7 in Wajima City and Hakui County, Ishikawa Prefecture. The seismic mechanism of this earthquake was a reverse fault type with a pressure axis in the northwest-southeast direction, and the earthquake occurred within the earth's crust.
The earthquake caused extensive damage, mainly in the northern part of the Noto Peninsula, as houses collapsed one after another, the death toll exceeded 200 people and transport networks were disrupted. The number of fatalities was 241, and 1,297 people were seriously or slightly injured. The number of damaged houses was approximately 100,000, including 9,368 houses completely destroyed.
This report provides a preliminary report on the damage caused by the Noto Earthquake and the occurrence of slope failures and dammed lakes and liquefaction that are typical of inland earthquakes.