A study on the magnitude M 7.6 earthquake Noto Hanto, which struck Japan's Noto Peninsula on January 1st, 2024, shows it was preceded by a series of foreshocks including three significant events (M 5.5, M 4.6, and M 5.9). These foreshocks occurred just seconds to minutes before the main shock and underscores a complex behavior change from the long-term swarm-like activities to the burst-like foreshock activities. School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Professor Zhigang Peng talks about the importance of this study. 

"While other recently published studies focused on one aspect of the Noto sequence, such as the mainshock rupture or relocation of small earthquakes, this study combines results from many different angles, including relocations of all seismic events since 2018," says Peng. "Hence, it is likely one of the most complete analyses so far for this sequence."