Case Study: How does Japan live with earthquakes?
Japan lies within one of the most tectonically active zones in the world. It experiences over 400 earthquakes every day. The majority of these are not felt by humans and are only detected by instruments. Japan has been hit by a number of high-intensity earthquakes in the past. Since 2000 there are have been 16000 fatalities as the result of tectonic activity.
Japan is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the North American, Pacific, Eurasian and Philippine plates come together. Northern Japan is on top of the western tip of the North American plate. Southern Japan sits mostly above the Eurasian plate. This leads to the formation of volcanoes such as Mount Unzen and Mount Fuji. Movements along these plate boundaries also present the risk of tsunamis to the island nation. The Pacific Coastal zone, on the east coast of Japan, is particularly vulnerable as it is very densely populated.
The 2011 Japan Earthquake: Tōhoku
Japan experienced one of its largest seismic events on March 11 2011. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred 70km off the coast of the northern island of Honshu where the Pacific and North American plate meet. It is the largest recorded earthquake to hit Japan and is in the top five in the world since records began in 1900. The earthquake lasted for six minutes.
A map to show the location of the 2011 Japan Earthquake
The earthquake had a significant impact on the area. The force of the megathrust earthquake caused the island of Honshu to move east 2.4m. Parts of the Japanese coastline dr[[ed by 60cm. The seabed close to the focus of the earthquake rose by 7m and moved westwards between 40-50m. In addition to this, the earthquake shifted the Earth 10-15cm on its axis.
The earthquake triggered a tsunami which reached heights of 40m when it reached the coast. The tsunami wave reached 10km inland in some places.
What were the social impacts of the Japanese earthquake in 2011?
The tsunami in 2011 claimed the lives of 15,853 people and injured 6023. The majority of the victims were over the age of 60 (66%). 90% of the deaths was caused by drowning. The remaining 10% died as the result of being crushed in buildings or being burnt. 3282 people were reported missing, presumed dead.
Disposing of dead bodies proved to be very challenging because of the destruction to crematoriums, morgues and the power infrastructure. As the result of this many bodies were buried in mass graves to reduce the risk of disease spreading.
Many people were displaced as the result of the tsunami. According to Save the Children 100,000 children were separated from their families. The main reason for this was that children were at school when the earthquake struck. In one elementary school, 74 of 108 students and 10 out of 13 staff lost their lives.
More than 333000 people had to live in temporary accommodation. National Police Agency of Japan figures shows almost 300,000 buildings were destroyed and a further one million damaged, either by the quake, tsunami or resulting fires. Almost 4,000 roads, 78 bridges and 29 railways were also affected. Reconstruction is still taking place today. Some communities have had to be relocated from their original settlements.
What were the economic impacts of the Japanese earthquake in 2011?
The estimated cost of the earthquake, including reconstruction, is £181 billion. Japanese authorities estimate 25 million tonnes of debris were generated in the three worst-affected prefectures (counties). This is significantly more than the amount of debris created during the 2010 Haiti earthquake. 47,700 buildings were destroyed and 143,300 were damaged. 230,000 vehicles were destroyed or damaged. Four ports were destroyed and a further 11 were affected in the northeast of Japan.
There was a significant impact on power supplies in Japan. 4.4 million households and businesses lost electricity. 11 nuclear reactors were shut down when the earthquake occurred. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was decommissioned because all six of its reactors were severely damaged. Seawater disabled the plant’s cooling systems which caused the reactor cores to meltdown, leading to the release of radioactivity. Radioactive material continues to be released by the plant and vegetation and soil within the 30km evacuation zone is contaminated. Power cuts continued for several weeks after the earthquake and tsunami. Often, these lasted between 3-4 hours at a time. The earthquake also had a negative impact on the oil industry as two refineries were set on fire during the earthquake.
Transport was also negatively affected by the earthquake. Twenty-three train stations were swept away and others experienced damage. Many road bridges were damaged or destroyed.
Agriculture was affected as salt water contaminated soil and made it impossible to grow crops.
The stock market crashed and had a negative impact on companies such as Sony and Toyota as the cost of the earthquake was realised. Production was reduced due to power cuts and assembly of goods, such as cars overseas, were affected by the disruption in the supply of parts from Japan.
What were the political impacts of the Japanese earthquake in 2011?
Government debt was increased when it injects billions of yen into the economy. This was at a time when the government were attempting to reduce the national debt.
Several years before the disaster warnings had been made about the poor defences that existed at nuclear power plants in the event of a tsunami. A number of executives at the Fukushima power plant resigned in the aftermath of the disaster. A movement against nuclear power, which Japan heavily relies on, developed following the tsunami.
The disaster at Fukushima added political weight in European countries were anti-nuclear bodies used the event to reinforce their arguments against nuclear power.
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Japan earthquake, 2011 case study
Subject: Geography
Age range: 11-14
Resource type: Worksheet/Activity
Last updated
20 September 2022
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This is a case study on the cause, effect and response to the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Based on pedagological research, the layout has been designed to appeal to readers, whilst its structure has been chunked for ease of reading.
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Japan Earthquake 2011 Short Answer Questions
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Location: The earthquake struck 250 miles off the northeastern coast of Japan's Honshu Island at 2:46 pm (local time) on March 11, 2011. Japan 2011 Earthquake map. Magnitude: It measured 9.1 on the Moment Magnitude scale, making it one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. Japan is a highly developed country with advanced ...
What were the primary effects of the 2011 Japan earthquake? Impacts on people. Death and injury - Some 15,894 people died, and 26,152 people were injured. 130,927 people were displaced, and 2,562 remain missing. Damage - 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways were destroyed or damaged. 300 hospitals were damaged, and 11 ...
Japan experienced one of its largest seismic events on March 11 2011. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred 70km off the coast of the northern island of Honshu where the Pacific and North American plate meet. It is the largest recorded earthquake to hit Japan and is in the top five in the world since records began in 1900.
Case study: Japan tsunami 2011 (HIC) On Friday 11 March 2011 at 14:46:24, an earthquake of magnitude nine on the Richter scale close Richter scale The measure by which the strength of earthquakes ...
Case Study of the Japan 2011 earthquake in Tohoku.This is the sixth video for the AQA GCSE 9-1 Geography course, and the sixth video of the Challenge of Natu...
The 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake is one of the world's best-recorded ruptures. In the aftermath of this devastating event, it is important to learn from the complete record. We describe the state of knowledge of the megathrust earthquake generation process before the earthquake, and what has been learned in the decade since the historic event.
The tsunami that resulted from the 2011 earthquake was composed of 10 waves, 1 km apart and in places 15 metres high. Although 40% of Japan's coastline has 10 metre high protective coastal walls, the waves just went over the top. The first wave hit Japan 24 minutes after the earthquake. The last wave hit Japan 3 ½ hours after the earthquake.
Title: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami 2011 - Case Study - World at Risk - Edexcel Geography IAL Created Date: 20191125163816Z
1. The earthquake shifted Earth on its axis of rotation by redistributing mass, like putting a dent in a spinning top. The temblor also shortened the length of a day by about a microsecond. 2. The jolt moved Japan's main island of Honshu eastward by 2.4 meters. 3. The tsunami broke icebergs off the Sulzberger Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
A massive tsunami, generated by a powerful undersea earthquake, breaching the seawall at Miyako, Japan, March 11, 2011. (more) The magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck at 2:46 pm. (The early estimate of magnitude 8.9 was later revised upward.) The epicentre was located some 80 miles (130 km) east of the city of Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, and the ...
hit Japan in March 2011 involved a set of complex and interrelated factors, some physical and some of human origin. The result was perhaps the worst disaster to befall Japan since the Second World War. The seabed off the eastern coast of Japan is a highly seismologically active section of the earth's crust (Figure 1). The Eurasian, Pacific
The 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami shows how a prepared country can still be greatly affected by natural hazards, especially when looking at the Fukushima nuclear power plant meltdown, so acts as a good case study for students to learn about as part of the hazardous earth topic of the OCR specification.
On the 11th March 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. struck 70km from the coast of Sendai Bay, severely affecting the region of Tohoku and the city of Sendai. The earthquake was the most powerful recorded earthquake in Japan's history and was the costliest natural disaster in history. A huge tsunami followed the earthquake, devastating the ...
We revisited the lessons of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Tsunami disaster specifically on the response and impact, ... the post-disaster paradigm shifts in reconstruction are discussed through a case study in Sendai city, Miyagi prefecture. 2. Pre-2011 paradigm ... Urban Geography, 10.1080/02723638.2020.1780054, 41:5, (777-790), ...
Use this video to help you recap the effects and responses to the Tohoku, Japan (2011) earthquake. You will need this example in Section A - Natural Hazards ...
A 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off Japan's northeast coast, 250 miles from Tokyo, at a depth of 20 miles on March 11, 2011, at 2:46 pm local time. Occurred 250 miles off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan's main island.
Geography Case Study Earthquakes - Japan 2011. Give some background information on the 2011 Japan Earthquake. 1. It occurred on the 11th of March 2011. 2. It lasted 6 minutes. 3. It was located 70km off the coast of the northern Japanese land of Honshu. - meaning that it was a undersea mega earthquake.
Japan earthquake, 2011 case study. Subject: Geography. Age range: 11-14. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. docx, 25.75 KB. This is a case study on the cause, effect and response to the Japan earthquake and tsunami in 2011. Based on pedagological research, the layout has been designed to appeal to readers, whilst its structure ...
Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like what secondary event happened as of the earthquake?, how many people did the tsunami kill and injure and what were the age groups?, why did people chose to not come back to the tohoku region? and more.
Haiti Earthquake 2010; Japan Earthquake 2011; Christchurch Earthquake Case Study; Nepal Earthquake 2015; Amatrice Earthquake Case Study; Lombok Indonesia Earthquake 2018 Case Study; 2018 Sulawesi Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Case Study; Ecosystems. What is an ecosystem? What is a Biome? Humans and the Biosphere; How do changes affect the ...
What was provided to the worst affected families after the Japan 2011 Earthquake? Financial support. How far was the sea floor lifted by the Japan 2011 Earthquake and what was the impact? 10 metres, displacing 100 billion m^3 of water and causing a tsunami. How many deaths from the Japan 2011 Earthquake? 18,500.
This article presents a case study on tsunami risk assessment performed by Asahi Kasei Corporation, Japan, based on four steps: (1) review of Natech events caused by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, (2) hazard identification at the plant, (3) risk assessment considering human casualties, equipment loss, environment, and business continuity ...
9. Timing Japan. 6 minutes from 2.46pm on 11th March 2011. Nature of Earthquake Japan. Deformation of eurasian plate cause built up of pressure - eventually strain energy overcame frictional force causing the plate to bounce up and energy released caused earthquakes. How did the earthquake cause a Tsunami Japan.