Japan 2011 (Kobe)

Question 1

Plate boundary

Answer 1

Pacific Plate, which is an oceanic plate, subducts the Eurasian Plate, which is a continental
Convergent plate boundary

Question 2

What is the GDP/Capita, HDI and Life expectancy of Japan?

Answer 2

GDP = 48,168.00 USD
HDI = 0.890
LE = 82 years

Question 3

earthquake’s magnitude on the Richter scale? What was the height of the tsunami?

Answer 3

• 9.0 m
• up to 40m

Question 4

Social impacts

Answer 4

Death and injury - 15,894 people died,
6,152 people were injured
130,927 were displaced.
Damage - 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways were destroyed or damaged.
300 hospitals were damaged and 11 were totally destroyed.
Blackouts - Around 4.4 million households in North-East Japan were left without electricity.

Question 5

Environmental impacts

Answer 5

Tsunami - reached up to 40 m high this caused a lot of damage and pollution up to 6 miles inland.

Land fall - some coastal areas experienced land subsidence as the earthquake dropped the beachfronts in some places by more than 50 cm.

Fore and aftershocks - Scientists estimate that over 800 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were recorded following the main earthquake.

Question 6

Economy

Answer 6

US$ 235 billion (most expensive natural disaster in history)

Question 7

Preparation

Answer 7

Earthquake-proofing the buildings - Billions of pounds have been spent making buildings more resistant to earthquakes.
Setting up early warning systems - Japan has had a tsunami warning system since 1952 - network of seismographs across the country to monitor any earthquake movements
Practicing for emergencies (01/09)

Question 8

Response strategies

Answer 8

Rescue services - clear roads and create access paths
Shelter - 300,000 left homeless (needed basic necessity’s)
International aid - received $1 billion in donations

Question 9

Magnitude

Answer 9

7.2