Fossil hunting trip after the earthquake

[David in Japan]

Before starting my hunt report, I just would like to make a short preamble, if you only want to read the report, skip this post and go to the second one. I hesitated a lot concerning this post but I think it could answer a lot of question concerning my vacance (sorry Ash, was cut during our chat by nasty tremors but nice pictures and congratulation!).

As few know, I live in South of Japan in a city called Kumamoto. I don’t know if outside Japan the event was fairly broadcast (maybe in Montana’s news as Montana and Kumamoto are twin state) but on month ago on April the 14^th, an earthquake (Magnitude 6.5 / shindo 7) hit severely the prefecture at 9:26pm. What we thought to be an isolated earthquake was in fact follow by tremors, little brother (Magnitude 6.4 / shindo 6) and the day after at 1 am by big daddy (Magnitude 7.3 /Shindo 7). Since then we experience afterquake every day.

Between the 14^th and May the 11^th the earth shaked 368 times (only tremors above shindo 3) and 1400 times (all tremors) ‘till today.

What’s shindo scale ? it is a scale used in Japan which measure the intensity of an earthquake.

The scale goes from 1 to 7, 7 being the most intense and effect on human and infrastructure are described as follow:

1 : Felt by only some people indoors./ Upper sections of multi-story buildings may feel the earthquake.

2: Felt by many to most people indoors. Some people awake./ No buildings receive damage./ Homes and apartment buildings will shake, but will receive no damage.

3: Felt by most to all people indoors. Some people are frightened./ Buildings may receive slight damage if not earthquake-resistant. None to very light damage to earthquake-resistant and normal buildings./ Houses may shake strongly. Less earthquake-resistant houses can receive slight damage.

4: Many people are frightened. Some people try to escape from danger. Most sleeping people awake./ Less earthquake-resistant homes can suffer slight damage. Most homes shake strongly and small cracks may appear. The entirety of apartment buildings will shake./ Other buildings can receive slight damage. Earthquake-resistant structures will survive, most likely without damage.

5 lower: Most people try to escape from danger by running outside. Some people find it difficult to move./ Less earthquake-resistant homes and apartments suffer damage to walls and pillars./ Cracks are formed in walls of less earthquake-resistant buildings. Normal and earthquake resistant structures receive slight damage.

5 upper: Many people are considerably frightened and find it difficult to move./ Less earthquake-resistant homes and apartments suffer heavy/significant damage to walls and pillars and can lean./ Medium to large cracks are formed in walls. Crossbeams and pillars of less earthquake-resistant buildings and even highly earthquake-resistant buildings also have cracks.

6 lower: Difficult to keep standing./ Less earthquake-resistant houses collapse and even walls and pillars of other homes are damaged. Apartment buildings can collapse by floors falling down onto each other./ Less earthquake-resistant buildings easily receive heavy damage and may be destroyed. Even highly earthquake-resistant buildings have large cracks in walls and will be moderately damaged, at least. In some buildings, wall tiles and windowpanes are damaged and fall.

6 upper: Impossible to keep standing and to move without crawling./ Less earthquake-resistant houses will collapse or be severely damaged. In some cases, highly earthquake-resistant residences are heavily damaged. Multi-story apartment buildings will fall down partially or completely./ Many walls collapse, or at least are severely damaged. Some less earthquake-resistant buildings collapse. Even highly earthquake-resistant buildings suffer severe damage.

7: Thrown by the shaking and impossible to move at will./ Most or all residences collapse or receive severe damage, no matter how earthquake-resistant they are./ Most or all buildings (even earthquake-resistant ones) suffer severe damage.

90 % of the houses in the little town where the epicenter of the earthquake was, were destroyed, Kumamoto castle is no more and I could continue for days. A simple search on Google will provide you more picture than you want to see.

The earthquake happened at the section between 2 fault called Hinagu fault and futagawa fault at a depth of 10 Km.

The prefecture is now a paradise for Japanese geologist as new fault were created and because the two side of hinagu fault slide in different direction on 2 meter.

Besides the earthquake we entered few weeks ago in the monsoon season and as land is weakened by earthquake it provoked a lot of land slide.

This situation caused me to be silent on the forum and forced me to stop fossil hunting for weeks until last week. Was a little bit tired mentally so I needed to get some fresh air and to think about everything but earthquake so I went to my 2 preferred spot on the 13 and tested my chance.

The post that follow is my hunting report.

[sixgill pete]

David, I have heard nothing about this on the news here. Guess it want in an area they consider "important". I hope there were not many lives lost. Looking forward to your trip report, I am sure adding some normalcy back into your life after this can only be good.

[David in Japan]

So to get out of my head past days I went to my favorite spot in Kumamoto prefecture.

The first place is situated in Amakusa, small islands off Kumamoto. I go there on a regular basis and I was quite curious concerning the effect of the earthquake on the outcrops and I was quite surprise to see that effect was far beyond my expectations: outcrop falls apart, big block of granit falled and teared off large section of rocks compositing the shore. Bad to say but it was a perfect day for a surface hunter like me.

Dozens of ammonite, aptychus, large inoceramus, urchin, sphenoceramus, apiotrigonia. A large variety of fossil even if they were not in a very good state of conservation.

At noon I drove to Mifune were I have a spot in the forest. I had to see if I was lucky enough to find my first dino bone. The sun was still high and hit hard. 28 degrees, a very enjoyable day I wasn’t the only one to enjoy. On my way to the spot on the trail I felt like I hooked my foot in a rope, when I looked down, I immediately knew that it was my lucky day and that even if I do not find any dino bone, I would be lucky enough to come back home safe… I just walked on a snake. Didn’t saw it, maybe he was just taking a sun bath… anyway, he was there, I just walk on it and he fled without biting me. When I came back home, I make some search and it seems that the guy was a non-venomous snake called Elaphe Climacophora (If you read this post on your snaketernet, please accept my apologize Elaphe). Lucky it was not a japanese viper called Mamushi. Gonna have to be careful next time.

At my spot I found some nice shell like pseudoasaphis japonica, nice inoceramus and nice gastropod (cerithium pyramidaeforme) but no bones. Maybe next time.

I will post the pictures of my find later.

I had a great day, very hot, sweat a lot, find nice thinks, enjoyed nature and more important for one day I did not think about earthquake.

[Pilobolus]

Look forward to seeing those pics!

[JohnJ]

Your resilience is admirable.

[JustPlainPetrified]

Waiting for the 'fantastic'

[Fossildude19]

I cannot begin to imagine living through something like that.

Glad you are safe, and able to fossil hunt to get your mind off of it.

Regards,

[Ludwigia]

David,

I had heard news about this, but only briefly, and had forgotten all about it. That must have been quite an ordeal for you and your fellow citizens, and I suppose it still will take some time before things get back to a relatively normal pace of life again. I hope that you and your family have not been too adversely affected. I can well understand your need to get out and clear your head, and we collectors know that the best thing for that is to go hunting. Looking forward to seeing your finds.

[JohnBrewer]

We did get news coverage here in the UK. As has been said I hope no lives were lost but I can see that is sadly unlikely. Infrastructure can be rebuilt....

I'm glad David that you are immersing yourself in your paleontological hobby. Really looking forward to seeing your finds.

[Khyssa]

I remember waking up to some minor earthquakes when my family lived on Okinawa but I can't even imagine what it must have been like to go through such a strong earthquake and all of the aftershocks. It's good that you are okay and I hope your family and friends are as well.

Looking forward to seeing your finds.

[Manticocerasman]

Oh man. I hope you and your family are al right David, it has indeed been a while since I last spoke to you in the chatroom.

If I remember correctly I also asked you then about earthquakes in Japan

[ynot]

Ditto to what the others have said! Glad that You are alright and can still get out to look for treasures!!

Good luck!!

Tony

[sdsnl]

Glad you are fine! It was on the news here but I didn't know it was this severe. Be safe and good luck with your hunts!