Massive 8.9 Magnitude Earthquake and Tsunami Hits Japan

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, on 3/11/11 at 02:46:23 PM local time at the epicenter. The quake occurred on a thrust fault at or near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates. The earthquake was preceded by a series of large foreshocks over the previous two days, beginning on March 9th with an M 7.2 event. Tsunami hits Japan producing widespread damage. Hundreds dead and many injured. Tsunami warnings out across the Pacific, including Hawaii and the West Coast of the US. USGS web page on earthquake, Pacific tsunami warning center, CNN, Google Crisis Response.