Twitter, Facebook track updates about Japan

By Tuesday, we were getting a look at just how big the story was on Twitter and Facebook.

On its blog, Twitter said that 572,000 new accounts were created in the first 24 hours after the disaster. On the first day along, some 177 million tweets were sent.

RELATED: Twitter's #numbers blog

Meanwhile, Facebook created a map which plots status updates about the earthquake and tsunami in the first 12 hours. You can follow the influx of updates as you scroll through their photo gallery and watch the concentration of black dots increase - especially in Japan and neighboring countries and here in the US.

RELATED: Facebook status update map

On March 11th, Facebook says, 3.8 million users from around the globe touched on the disaster, and a total of 4.5 million posts mentioned either the word "Japan," "earthquake" or "tsunami."

-----

RELATED: Search the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) site to see if loved ones in the quake zone have checked in to say they are okay

RELATED: To help, visit www.redcross.org and donate to Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the recovery effort

RELATED: Watch videos of the earthquake and tsunami as they happened in Japan

Emergency Information

For emergency information, assistance, and locating family in connection with earthquake in Japan: http://www.facebook.com/l/6b2e3a9CLMNbUwBsOw1jOL8d5aw/www.jhelp.com

Phone numbers in US and Japan:

202 559 4683
800 373 1110
0570 000 911
011 81 90 7170 4769
011 81 90 3080 6711