An 8.9 on the Richter scale is unimaginable to me. I was in the San Francisco Bay area in 1989 when we got an earthquake of about 6.9. Every point increase is ten times greater in magnitude. So, a 7.9 is ten times greater in magnitude than a 6.9, and an 8.9 is ten times that, or a hundred times greater in magnitude than the 6.9 San Francisco quake!
Thank God it wasn't closer to a city, Tokyo could have been severely destroyed.
In comparison, the terrible deep ocean earthquake in 2004 was 9.3 and created a Tsunami that was so devastating to Indonesia, and the 1964 Anchorage earthquake was 9.2.
What a terrible tragedy. I send my prayers to the Japanese people.
