'It moved 60 meters in minutes': What’s happening beneath Japan right now
Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: JAMSTEC
Fault Hunt
At a staggering depth of 7 km beneath the Pacific, scientists drilled into the deadly Japan Trench fault that unleashed the 2011 Tohoku quake.
Credit: JAMSTEC
Seafloor Observatory
Using the Chikyu drilling vessel, researchers built a sub-seafloor lab nearly 1 km below the ocean floor to monitor stress and temperature in real-time.
Credit: JAMSTEC
Cornell Command
Co-led by Cornell's Patrick Fulton, the project blends extreme engineering and deep science to reveal the mechanics of one of Earth’s most violent ruptures.
Credit: Cornell Chronicle - Cornell University
Frictional Clues
Sensors detected a lingering heat signal—evidence of intense friction during the 2011 quake—revealing the fault’s unexpected weakness.
Rupture Replay
In 2011, the seafloor lurched up to 60 meters east in minutes. Now, scientists want to know: could it happen again?
Fluid Movement
Aftershocks opened fractures that released water from deep within Earth—altering stress patterns and possibly influencing future quakes.
12-Year Return
This mission built on the 2012 expedition, using better tools to revisit the same fault and track its stress buildup and possible reactivation.
Earth’s Limits
Fulton called the expedition “like a NASA mission” due to its complexity—few ships can operate at such depths with this level of precision.
Future Forecasts
Findings will help improve tsunami and earthquake predictions, offering a deeper understanding of subduction zones and global seismic risks.