NEW QUAKE SYSTEM

The next-generation K supercomputer was ranked as the world's fastest computer in June and November 2011. A University of Tokyo research team has developed a system that will use a next-generation supercomputer to simultaneously predict tremors, tsunami and movements in the Earth's crust after a massive earthquake occurs.

The team, led by Takuto Maeda, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo's Center of Integrated Disaster Information Research (CIDIR), has used the new system on a current-generation supercomputer, which almost succeeded in reconstructing the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11.

Predictions about tremors, tsunami and crust movements have been made separately in the past. But the system's simultaneous calculations are more likely to predict damage that would have been missed by separate findings, such as how a tsunami might impact an area where the ground level has sunk due to an earthquake.

Using the system, the team entered data of the March 11 earthquake, such as its magnitude and location, into the supercomputer. The supercomputer predicted seismic waves would occur throughout the nation within 10 minutes of the earthquake, a massive tsunami hitting coastal areas after about 30 minutes, and the subsiding of the Kanto and Sendai plains.

The system's usability was confirmed by its ability to make predictions that were very close to what occurred in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake. But the system was restricted by the processing power of the current-generation supercomputer. A large amount of data must be processed to simultaneously calculate crustal movements and tsunami. Current-generation supercomputers lack sufficient storage capacity to process these calculations, and therefore some data was skipped.

Despite this, the team has further developed the system to predict more accurate damage in anticipation for its use on the nation's next-generation supercomputer, known as K, which has a data storage capacity 100 times greater than the current generation, and will be available in autumn. As the system can be used to predict detailed damage caused by multiple disasters, the team is planning to analyze the effect of the simultaneous occurrence of three big earthquakes known as the Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai earthquakes.

Meanwhile, the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute is planning to develop another system for the K supercomputer from April that will analyze urban damage caused by earthquakes and tsunami, such as the collapse of buildings, and predict how certain regions should be evacuated. The research team also plans to collaborate with the institute.

Source: Yomiuri News

According to Scripture the biggest earthquakes are still ahead of us. We haven’t seen anything yet!

Should we then tremble with foreboding and fright?

Not at all -- if we belong to God.

 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

 Psa 46:2

Even if we stand at the cliff-edge of doom, we are fearless in Christ. He is well able to take care for us. Whether we live or die, we are His and to live is Christ and to die is Christ!

JOY OF HELPING QUAKE VICTIMS

(Written by Sachiko Saito, a third-year student at a Girls' Middle School)

"Wake up Sachiko!" my mother called to me. "Mr. Takahashi and his family are evacuating here to Nagoya and I need your help in preparing for them." They were fleeing from the 3/11/11 triple disaster.

Early on the morning of March 18, my mother received an urgent e-mail requesting that we host this family until they could return to their home in Sendai, which was heavily hit. It turned out to be quite a few months before they could get back to Sendai.

Mother and I went to work immediately to create a semiprivate space for the Takahashis in our own home. We cleaned our largest room and emptied the closet of old clothes and other items we had stored there.

It wasn't easy to prepare a guest room for four people in one day but it made me realize how much sentimental junk of little value was lying around the house and how unimportant it all seems when real people are in true need.

Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi, 14-year-old Mako and 8-year-old Koko arrived at our home looking very tired, but relieved. Mako and Koko were quiet at first, but just like the spring flowers in our garden, they began to bloom! They loved the plant life in the garden, my mother’s home-style dishes and above all, playing games and listening to music in the evening.

The experience of having a family in our home taught me a lot. I learned that the simple things we often take for granted are actually invaluable. I learned that helping others when they are in need gives joy.

I used to think that happiness depended on having lots of friends! But friendship for selfish reasons should not be the priority of a happy person.

For a person to be happy is to love and help people and that gives purpose in life and a sense of fulfillment. 

When the Takahashi family returned to Sendai, my mother prepared rice balls with plum for their lunch and she gave them gifts to take with them.  She gave Koko a red "Hello Kitty" bag to carry her things in.  And to Mako, she gave a tiny old statue of an angel she had pet on her desk for a long time.  On the angel's back there was a carved word.  It said "hope".  Hope is the one feeling that heals the wounds of sorrow and gives us renewed strength for the future.  I now realize that family, home and friends are what fill my heart with hope.

Life is for love and friendship and home is where the heart is.

 

( Sachiko received First Place for this speech at the 63rd All Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest held in Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo.)

God's love through us as Christians should be even more happily given than this family who gave of themselves to help others in need.  I Peter 4:9, 10 says "Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same to one another, as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God." 

God’s gifts of grace come in many forms.

Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others.

You should use it faithfully


Hospitality is grace and love in action and demonstrates the grace and love of God.

Hope is also found through the love and grace of God and may be found by others when we show forth the hope we have in our experiences.  

Be a blessing to someone today.

Another Earthquake

Well we experienced a small short earthquake about 30 minutes away from us. If you go to the link above you can see numbers on the map. The 4 is Horonobe where we have one of our extension outreaches. The 2 is Teshio. It has been several years since we had one this close!! We praise God for daily safety and for extra when unsuspecting things happen as well. "Some men trust in horses...but we will trust in the name of the Lord our God!"
We hope to get our next prayer letter up here as well in the next couple days. Thank you for your prayer and for patience in receiving our updates.
God bless,

Ken & Vicki

p.s. if you bookmark that link above then whenever you hear about earthquakes in Japan and wonder where they are you can easily go there and it should have the one you are seeking. It is in Japanese but if you ask the person you are concerned about they can tell you which one to click on.
or look for the date and time you have wondered about and click on there. I hope that is enough to help you. Or for us, just check this blog and we will put the info here on any Hokkaido earthquakes! I tried to copy the picture but it wouldn't let me.