[Geology2] Earthquake Creates Hot Spring Under Apartment Building

Earthquake Creates Hot Spring Under Apartment Building

The apartment building is built on top of an area that was once a coal mine. The old abandoned mine shafts have probably been flooded with hot spring water for some time. When the big earthquake hit the region on March 11th, the sinking of the ground pushed up some of that water.

Since the earthquake, the soil around the apartment building has become increasingly soggy. Concrete stairs that were undamaged by the earthquake have started to crumble. The owner of the apartment building is worried that the foundations of the building could become unstable.

In other parts of Japan, the earthquake damaged hot springs. The waters dried up completely at Soma Onsen in Akita prefecture, an area that has had a natural hot spring bath since the Edo Period. The owner of the Soma Onsen ryokan had to close his business until a pump could be installed. The pump is now working, and the Onsen has reopened.

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