The atmosphere above the epicenter of the March 11, 2011, earthquake showed unusual activity in the days before it hit, according to a Taiwanese scientist.
Wu Hong-chun, a researcher at the Institute of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health under the Labor Ministry, said Friday that satellite data of thermal images gathered on March 7, 2011, revealed that the jet stream above the east coast of Honshu split into two, indicating a quake with a magnitude of over 6 was about to occur.
Four days later, a magnitude-9 quake struck Tohoku, triggering huge tsunami that crippled the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.