Why not 東京で?「東京にいつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない」


I've come across this sentence in
[Jisho.org](https://jisho.org/search/%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87%E3%81%8C%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%20%23sentences).
In many English grammar books, it's said that で is used instead に when ある
marks the location of an event, as in こんばんジムの家でパーティーがあります. Why is it に used
here then?

> 東京にいつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない

You can find
[examples](https://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%A7%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87%E3%81%8C%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%20%23sentences)
with で though.

>
> [午前３時３０分ごろ関東地方で地震がありました。](https://sentencesearch.neocities.org/#%E3%81%A7%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87)

From a similar [thread](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/14259/45630),

> > イラクで戦争がある。≒ イラクで戦争が起こる。
>
> The ある means 起{お}こる, 発生{はっせい}する, 行{おこな}われる (meaning #12 in
> [goo辞書](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E6%9C%89%E3%82%8B/#jn-7643))  
>  Compare:
>

>> イラクにXXがある。(= There's XX in Iraq.)  
>  イラクでXXがある。(= XX occurs/takes place/will be held in Iraq.)




The following two sentences are both fine, but focus is slightly different.

> 東京 **で** いつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない。

> 東京 **に** いつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない。

The first sentence with で focuses on the possible occurrence of a strong
earthquake in a particular place, which in this case is assumed to be Tokyo.

The second sentence with に focuses more on the exact location where this might
happen. A strong earthquake might strike Tokyo, as opposed to other places.
This に also carries a slight sense of directionality and/or suffering. It is
kind of like saying:

> No one knows when a strong earthquake might fall on Tokyo.

Here, Tokyo is the receiving end of this undesirable event.




The following two sentences are both fine, but focus is slightly different.

> 東京 **で** いつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない。

> 東京 **に** いつ激しい地震があるか誰にもわからない。

The first sentence with で focuses on the possible occurrence of a strong
earthquake in a particular place, which in this case is assumed to be Tokyo.

The second sentence with に focuses more on the exact location where this might
happen. A strong earthquake might strike Tokyo, as opposed to other places.
This に also carries a slight sense of directionality and/or suffering. It is
kind of like saying:

> No one knows when a strong earthquake might fall on Tokyo.

Here, Tokyo is the receiving end of this undesirable event.

