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It is estimated that the March 11, 2011 earthquake in Japan was 1,000 times more powerful than the quake that struck Haiti in 2010. Watch as Smithsonian geologist Dr. Liz Cottrell explains this and more about the major earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

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Understanding the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

March 2011

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A real-time monitoring system helps to forecast and track tsunamis before they reach shore, giving people a chance to move to higher ground.

Video

Tracking Tsunamis

January 2011

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a colored shakemap from the M5.8 Virginia Earthquake depicts the shake range and epicenter of the earthquake

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Map of the Magnitude 5.8 Virginia Earthquake of 2011

August 2011