Quake Moved Japan Coast Eight Feet

The largest earthquake to ever strike Japan has reportedly moved the country's main island by 8 feet—and shifted the Earth on its axis by nearly 4 inches, according to early reports. Though the death toll of the quake and the ensuing tsunami so far stands at 1,700, it is likely to climb even higher. One coastal town alone is reportedly missing 9,500 of its residents. The quake was roughly equivalent in strength and magnitude to that which struck Indonesia in 2004, triggering a tsunami that caused over 200,000 deaths.