© Jiji Press/AFP/Getty ImagesThe earthquake turned this road into liquid in Sapporo, northern Japan
Though not a particularly strong earthquake for Japan, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake there today has caused extensive damage and reports of deaths are beginning to emerge. The quake struck northern Japan, while the US Geological Survey reports that it occurred at a depth of 39 kilometers.
Of course, a quake's magnitude on the Richter Scale doesn't tell us everything about its potential to cause damage. All kinds of waves are generated by earthquakes, and a combination of environmental and infrastructural factors will determine how much damage it causes on the surface.
Today's quake comes a day after
Typhoon Jebi, officially the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in a quarter century, swept across the country's main island, further damaging infrastructure and causing at least 11 deaths.
Japan underwent another major earthquake just two months ago, resulting in three deaths and leaving over 200 people injured.
In the following footage showing the moment the quake struck, note the now familiar 'earthquake lights' on the horizon. These are likely a plasma phenomenon related to powerful ground-to-sky electric discharge during intense seismic activity:
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