But on that fateful Friday, when the North American plate slid over the Pacific plate along a subduction zone running 130km (80 miles) off the Pacific coast of northern Japan, the shock leapt from the first segment to a second and on to a third, extending the fault zone some 400km and increasing its intensity more than 30-fold.

ECONOMIST: The myth and reality of the Japanese earthquake

There is no question that one of the 5 most powerful earthquakes on record (which forced the North American tectonic plate eastward by 66 feet), combined with 6-meter tsunami waves, creates a terrifying and formidable obstacle for energy facilities.

FORBES: What's Next For Japan: The Short and Long Term