Hazards: Japan earthquake Flashcards
(25 cards)
When did the earthquake in Japan occur?
March 2011
What was the magnitude of the Japan earthquake?
9.0
What was the focus depth of the Japan earthquake?
30 km
How much did some parts of Japan’s coastline shift eastwards?
4 m
What type of plate boundary is Japan located on?
Convergent plate boundary
Which two tectonic plates interact at the Japan trench?
Pacific and North American plates
What caused the earthquake in Japan?
The Pacific plate subducted under the North American plate, causing friction and pressure to build up.
What are the primary social effects of the earthquake?
18,500 deaths, over 450,000 people evacuated
What was the economic cost of the damages from the earthquake?
Over $235 billion
How many households lost access to electricity due to the earthquake?
4.4 million
How many ports were closed as a result of the earthquake?
15
How long did reconstruction take after the earthquake?
Around 10 years
What environmental effect did the earthquake have on the ground?
Ground subsided by 1 m
What significant political impact occurred as a result of the Fukushima disaster?
Radioactive material was released into the air and ocean
What immediate response involved mobilizing over 1,000 soldiers?
Search and rescue operations
What was a significant long-term economic response to the earthquake?
Significant government reconstruction programme with USD$300 billion allocated
Fill in the blank: Japan’s earthquake early warning system gave people a few seconds to _____ before the earthquake began.
a minute
True or False: The tsunami defenses in Japan were effective against the tsunami that followed the earthquake.
False
What was one of the major failures of the Fukushima nuclear power plant during the earthquake?
Backup generators on the ground floor flooded and failed
What are some improvements made to earthquake and tsunami warning systems?
Developing public alerts, evacuation plans, new algorithms to predict earthquakes, constructing more evacuation towers
What was the height of the tsunami that hit Japan compared to the height of existing defenses?
Tsunami was 13 m+, defenses were only 5 to 6 m tall
What was the purpose of the Nuclear Regulation Authority set up in Japan?
To implement stricter nuclear use regulations
What was one of the environmental responses to the earthquake?
Ongoing cleanup of radioactive contamination
What was a significant social measure taken for those displaced by the earthquake?
Temporary housing units built rapidly for displaced residents
