The magnitude of the earthquake and its shallow depth -- 15.2 miles (24.5 kilometers) -- created a lot of energy, said Shenza Chen of the U.S. Geological Survey.

CNN: Widespread destruction from Japan earthquake, tsunamis

Chen and Nordhous superimposed a grid on high-resolution, nighttime images of the globe taken by U.S. Air Force satellites.

FORBES: The Case for Keeping the Lights On