Local experts discuss earthquake

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Within hours of the Japan earthquake, experts here in Dayton were studying it's impact on the earth.

Professors at both The University of Dayton and Wright State say catastrophic events like this can improve safety planning.

The seismometer at Wright State came alive when the shock waves started rolling across the Pacific rim.

One professor said the quake's signature gives insight into what's going on underneath the ground here.

Wright State has a network of sensitive instruments that register tremors.

They picked up the activity in Japan which shows up very clearly in spikes on the screen.

Meantime, experts at University of Dayton are also keeping a close eye on the data coming in.

The Chair of the Geology Department said in just the first few hours after the earthquake, there were about 70 aftershocks, some with magnitudes close to 7.

In a poorly constructed area, that would be enough to completely level buildings.

Japan happens to be the leader in earthquake construction and experts are eager to see how everything held up because it could help protect people in the future.