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Why Japan issued its first-ever mega-earthquake alert

The chances of a larger quake in the next week slightly increased

A map of Japan is shown.

On Thursday, August 8, a magnitude 7.1 occurred off the coast of southern Japan, prompting the country to issue its first-ever 'megaquake alert.'

Hammad Khan/Getty Images

By Nikk Ogasa

On August 8, the Japanese Meteorological Agency issued its first-ever “megaquake alert,” after a magnitude 7.1