News JMA warns of more temblors due to "slow slip"

Earthquakes occur when stress on a fault line or the area between tectonic plates builds up and ruptures. A rapid slide on the fault plane, which usually results in an earthquake, is the release of the strain seen over a period of seconds, whereas a slow slide constitutes movements that can continue for days or even years. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a relative increase in seismic activity has been observed from Monday off the east coast of Chiba Prefecture, including a magnitude-4.9 quake on Thursday and a M5.2 quake on Friday. Given past quake records in the area, the agency on Friday called on the public to be aware of "strong temblors," citing the possibility of a quake that could register lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale of 7. Lower 5 is a situation where people may need to hold onto something stable, and items on shelves may fall off.

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