TOKYO, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The series of earthquakes of up to 7.6 magnitude that rocked central Japan earlier this month has caused land upheavals of more than 2 meters in some places along the Noto Peninsula's northern coast, local experts said.

A group of researchers found land upheavals of at least 1 meter in several locations and saw upheavals of up to about 2.2 meters along the coast of the Wajimazaki-machi district after examining an area about 4 km long in the hardest-hit city of Wajima, public broadcaster NHK said Sunday.

Rocky terrain that was likely submerged previously is now above water, according to the survey.

The area formerly had a saltwater swimming pool, a state-registered tangible cultural asset, which builders created by drawing seawater into a dug-out section of a rocky reef. But the researchers said the water has dried up completely, the report said.

Associate Professor Tatsuya Ishiyama of the Earthquake Research Institute of the University of Tokyo said, "This is probably the first time that such large seismic shifts have been seen. These findings will help us understand the kinds of earthquakes that may occur when active seabed faults shift."

Earlier, a separate group of researchers conducted a survey in Wajima City, confirming the earthquake caused land upheavals as high as about 4 meters along the northwestern coast of the peninsula.

As of Monday morning, the death toll from the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake stood at 232 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa while 22 people remained unaccounted for, according to local authorities. Enditem

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