Japan Earthquake Photos: Shocking Satellite Images

New York Times:

Compare satellite images, taken by GeoEye, from before and after the disaster.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[Leftimage]

06:20 PM on 03/14/2011

LIVE GEIGER COUNTER IN TOKYO HERE:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/geiger-counter-tokyo

Irrefutable. Period.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

01:04 PM on 03/14/2011

SHOCKING Satellite Images Of Japan Before And After Quake.

I find it tragically sad rather than shocking.... and this is nothing compared to what GLOBAL WARMING will create.

[gramma61]

09:54 AM on 03/15/2011

Why must the word ""shocking" be used in the header.That word used to be reserved for the National Enquirer.

[chappelforpres]

12:02 PM on 03/14/2011

The scene presented is an apocalyptic nightmare. One can only imagine the levels of shock, suffering and grief. Japanese stoicism is being strained to its limits.

Need there be a more compelling reminder about the dangerous interrelationship between chaos theory, independent oversight, nature's fury and the law of unintended consequences?

As for the relentless sniping by those who scoff at green energy, climate change and proactive environmentalism as just so much 'tree hugging drivel", wake up and smell the coffee.

[TYRANNASAURUS]

01:06 PM on 03/14/2011

More like wake up and see the coming destruction.

[CLSayles]

09:30 AM on 03/14/2011

Holy crap!!! There is no power greater than nature. Wow...

[CoronaDischarge]

10:14 PM on 03/13/2011

Simply heartbreaking. Near complete devastation. What a total travail for those that have survived, ... so much to rebuild, so much lost and it's not over yet. A tragic reminder of what we all may be lulled into taking for granted.

[CANTHATBE]

01:33 AM on 03/14/2011

Amazing photos. I would like to find some of New Orleans, Gulf coast if they exist before and after Katrina.

[Barbara Lilly]

08:38 PM on 03/13/2011

These images are almost mind numbing. I suggest taking a look at the link to the NYT article- you can move the slider over the images and see exactly how indiviudal structures and areas were impacted. My heart sinks to think of all the lives lost.

[StacySpace]

05:48 PM on 03/13/2011

Doesn't there seem to be an inordinate amount of catastrophes in this new century? I think Battleship Earth is preparing to wipe all of us off the face of the planet. Might not be a bad thing...for Earth. As for me, Carpe Diem!

[Albert Dussault]

06:05 PM on 03/13/2011

I think of the same thing, ultimately I like to side with science and there does not seem to be
any connection between events. For example, the earthquakes, well they are not related to, say, hurricanes. And in one case you might be tempted to say global warming; but an earthquake below the sea that can not really be related to global warming...But you raise a very interesting point. After all there are many people talking about 2012 and the supposed end of the Central American calendar...

[StephenJK]

11:16 AM on 03/14/2011

LOL @ your first sentence. There doesn't SEEM to be a connection because scientists don't know how to connect them. At least not yet and certainly won't before TSHTF.

[gramma61]

09:57 AM on 03/15/2011

These things have always occurred...It's our working against nature as opposed with it that creates the worst of catastrophes.

[Angie Daniels]

06:54 PM on 03/13/2011

I recycle, no aerosoles etc. And tell my family I love them constantly. If I'm going down with the ship, I know at least I tried.

[usamade]

11:03 AM on 03/14/2011

Fanned and faved.

[KIVPossum]

05:40 PM on 03/13/2011

Hard to imagine such devastation

[tjconkster]

04:40 PM on 03/13/2011

Just a little confused there aren't ya sparky.....shall we talk about 8 yrs of little george...6 yrs of total RepubliCorp/Republican Tea Part rule....topped off with 30 yrs of Reaganomics? I believe you'd lose the argument.....

[rpr]

05:31 PM on 03/13/2011

Without the stimulus the economy would be completely in the toilet and the unemployment rate would be twice as high.

[socialtalker]

04:05 PM on 03/13/2011

and all of this havoc is with strict building codes. one can only imagine the death toll in the hundreds of thousands if japan had nutters like the right wing in this country who cant wait to strip all rules and regulations in all industries.

[nikanj]

04:54 PM on 03/13/2011

We have no idea what the actual death toll is, or will be.

[candcje]

06:09 PM on 03/13/2011

True it'll be weeks before final numbers come out, but the last official word I heard was 1200 confirmed dead, and one head of a prefecture feeling quite certain that the death toll in his prefecture alone will be in the 10s of thousands.

We need to pay attention to this and learn from it and invest in our infrastructure and improving the readiness of our existing structures. California's coast line will some day have a quake this big and we need to be ready for it when it comes.

[tnlcallen]

07:11 PM on 03/13/2011

Hmmmm, I wonder how I can use this tragedy to push my political ideologies?

[VirginiaJeff]

09:20 PM on 03/13/2011

 
That's an excellent Sarah P. impression!
 
Meanwhile, it doesn't hurt to learn and point out what we can learn from the wisdom of other nations.

[socialtalker]

04:25 AM on 03/14/2011

if you are a repcon, you cant, thats kinda my point.

[Auntie Carolina]

03:51 PM on 03/13/2011

Oh the Humanity. Lives forever changed, if not lost, homes destroyed, possessions gone. Farms under water.Businesses destroyed or ruined, a countries economy at a standstill. The Bullet Train a symbol of the standstill, unmoving... A country shaken to their visceral core by the threat of radiation. A generation that doesn't need to see a repeat of their ancestors fate. Give them strength to carry on.
I have contributed money, but felt I needed to do something else.
In solidarity for Japan's people, please change your profile picture. Please post on your profile and help out. Thanks.
You can use any Japanese picture, but here is a link in case you need it: http://www.google.com/images?q=symbols+of+japan&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=4Sl8TYTVM4...G8lQeQt8SLBg&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=1045&bih=624

[Anastasia]

03:58 AM on 03/14/2011

Nice idea!

[ScorpioTop]

05:16 AM on 03/15/2011

Hello Kitty, crying and praying,
http://www.cool-smileys.com/hello-kitty-crying-praying

[Skeetshooter]

03:21 PM on 03/13/2011

If this were to happen here with the GOP in charge like they were with Katrina, we'd be truly screwed.

[tjconkster]

04:42 PM on 03/13/2011

And the way they're blindly swinging their budget ax....like cutting funding for the tsunami warning system and the EPA....you're correct...we're screwed....

[mairs]

07:58 PM on 03/13/2011

California has really developed their earthquake preparedness over the years. I don't know about the New Madrid fault though. Many large cities will be caught with no pre-planning.

[AMERIKA]

02:54 PM on 03/13/2011

And we are fighting about peanuts over here. It would be awesome to see Republicans behaving with humanity over this disaster as well as the coming budget battles

[feliznavidad]

03:28 PM on 03/13/2011

Really. These nasty people need to gain some perspective. Life is sacred and tenuous. God bless the Japanese people and may we be prepared to show them Christian brotherhood and caring. We weep for them, and for our children.

[mairs]

07:59 PM on 03/13/2011

There is brotherhood to be found in all religions. I don't label it as Christian.

[BikerDad888]

02:20 PM on 03/13/2011

This is very scary... And for Japan to experience it all over again, it is sad. All our prayers will go to the safety of the people of Japan... http://tihik.com/rescue-effort-intensifies-as-japan-death-toll-climbs.html

[Billy Fritts]

04:44 PM on 03/13/2011

Im not a seer or a futureist--Im a Christian that knows Gods word--He has predicted all this thats coming up on the earth--It will get worse in the future--If you see all these earth quakes--They are geting closer all the time--Fire fights all over the world--Rumors of wars and famines--People are straveing every where as of now--Riots over half the world as of now--Un rest every where--Catch the news on the Mid east about all the unrest--Floods are takeing out thousands of people--Places in this world dont get the rain they need--The ground is drying up--Hey no kidding --this is serious and true --Just listen to the World -things thats going on to day-Never has it been this way befor---

[YOKEL13]

06:53 PM on 03/13/2011

To say that "God predicts...." makes little sense.... if "God" controls everything, what is left to "predict"?

[feliznavidad]

08:52 PM on 03/13/2011

It does remind me of the words of Revelation, talking about the days before the Second Coming. Based on my memory, there seem to be more earthquakes in population zones than I recall in past times. Then too, the frogs, bats, bees, tigers and several species of fish are vanishing from the earth. When the nuns told me about these things as a child, I ardently hoped I would not live to see them -- and fully expected I would not. Yet -- here I seem to be and the images seem to be happening in reality. Unfortunately, we humans have caused many of these disasters -- Prayer still has much power, my friend. Bless you and yours and all.

[Madamm Geeky]

01:34 PM on 03/13/2011

There are some more incredible images here. They didn't have a chance:
http://earthquakes.videohq.tv/2011/03/japan-aftermath-earthquake-89-mg.html

Very moving. :-(

[feliznavidad]

03:34 PM on 03/13/2011

Thanks for the post. These photos are chilling. Life is sacred and fleeting. If only we could remember that....Fanned.

[Billy Fritts]

11:57 AM on 03/15/2011

Hey im not trying to scare any one--This is all true-The earth quake shook the earth off of some of its AXIS--They said we lost some day time--Think about this--If the Mid East decides to have a nuke war-What happens to the earth--North Korea is going to try there nukes out soon--These people dont have a clue--Any country with nukes can split this earth in half--I still think we will get the fall out from Japan--Just pray that God spares us--

[themodernleader]

05:17 PM on 03/13/2011

    These pictures of the destruction of the monuments  to human performance and thought bring forcefully home the fact that human beings of cognitive capabiity are an anomaly, a freak in the nature of meaninglessness. The earth is a radical aberration of what is in the universe.  Life of any kind is an enemy of nature.  For it to have developed a conscious, intelligent dimension is an outrageous development.  This  human evolution provides meaning and discovery of the content of the universe. 
    Humans have been  inadvertently  invented as gods of the universe.  Evolving further to explain the nature of things wil require the wisdom and sagaciousness of our godliness.  Meanwhile, nature does its level best to destroy life and all its contributions to human ingenuity and fulfillment.

[candcje]

06:34 PM on 03/13/2011

It's a devastating tragedy that has occurred, but humans were not the only ones affected by it - all living creatures in that part of the world, including the fish and marine mammals that live in that part of the sea were also affected by this event.

I disagree with your assessment that life of any kind is an enemy of nature. I think life of all kinds is part of nature. We humans sometimes overstep our bounds in our erroneous belief that we are somehow godlike. But in the end, nature always puts us in our place, reminding us how insignificant we are - just another animal living on this ball of ever changing geography and climate. I believe nature balances everything out in the end, and this will, eventually, be just another part part of an ongoing cycle of renewal and reuse and renewal and reuse.