seizmic tokohu also local case study

Question 1

name of case study and where it is?

Answer 1

Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan - Japan records 1500 earthquakes every year! Occurred of the coast of Sendai

Question 2

when did it happen

Answer 2

11th march 2011

Question 3

magnitude

Answer 3

9 on reciter scale, depth of 24km plate slip 5- 10 m

Question 4

distance from shore

Answer 4

100km east of sendai which has a population of 2.2 millions

Question 5

how long did people get a warning and how height was the tsunami wave and how many waves

Answer 5

Tsunami warning kicked in but people along the 3000km strevh of coastline had only 9 mins before 40m high wave hit the coast around 10 waves each around 1 km apart - sea wall of 10 m trapped in water

Question 6

how large an area did the tsunami effect

Answer 6

560 kilometres in eastern japan

Question 7

primary impacts

Answer 7

• ground shaking caused buildings to collapse some set ablaze by broken gas and petrol pipes
• tsunami bought boats buildings trees down
  -earthquake proof design meant damage was limited
• city of sendai coastal region badly damaged
  46,000 buildings destroyed in total
  over 18000 dead or missing mainly due to tsunami
• in Minami-Sanriku half of the population of 17,000 died with only a few buildings left standing

Question 8

secondary imapcts

Answer 8

• in the two weeks following the earthquake there were 700 aftershocks causing further damage
• fears of nuclear disaster caused panic across global stock markets
• shortages of food, water, petrol and medical supplied
• Half a million people left homeless for weeks, 150,000 lived in temporary housing
• over 6 million homes left without electricity
  -explosions and radiation leaks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant spread fear across the world. The earthquake severed the power supply to the cooling system and the tsunami destroyed the back up generator.
• 100,000 children uprooted rom their homes, some of whom were separated from there families during the earthquake

Question 9

immediete response

Answer 9

helicopter crews plucked survivors from rooftops and flooded farmland
100,000 soldiers mobilised to establish order, organised rescue work and distribute resources
offers of aid poured in from other countries including USA + China
The UK sent 63 search and rescue specialists, two rescue dogs and a medical specialist team
iron tablets to prevent radiation sickness were distributed

Question 10

long term response

Answer 10

Japan coped well with the earthquake but tsunami defenced were inadequate compared to the size, force and Hight of the wave - future defences considered
in 2013,new tsunami warning system put in place
Japan government set up an advisory called the Reconstruction Design Council to plan for long-term growth in the Tohoku region to encourage rapid regrowth and tax incentive to increase industry in area
prior to 2011, 30% of japans electricity came from nuclear - due to nuclear disaster thyroid abnormalities in tohoku area - 20000 children suffering from it.
Estimated total damage 300 billion, costliest natural disaster in history - repair bill and to be met by government borrow meaning country more indebted.