2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami (Japan)

11th March 2011

How an earthquake occurs

• An earthquake happens when two plates collide against each other or push past one another

• When they are pushing past each other a huge amount of pressure is being built up

• When the plates finally push past each other all of the pressure is released

• This is what causes an earthquake • The strength of an earthquake is measured on a Richter Scale

How a tsunami occurs

• Tsunamis can be caused by an earthquake under water • When the earthquake happens the movement under the

water causes a wave to be generated • As the wave rushes closer to the coast it gains enough

momentum to cause massive damage on land• The momentum will slow down as the wave reaches land, but

it still has a major force

The Earthquake

• The earthquake on the 11th March 2011 had a 9.0 magnitude• It’s epicentre was about 72km east of Tohoku and it lasted

approximately 6 minutes• Sendai was the nearest major city to the earthquake, 130km,

and Tokyo was 373km from the epicentre• Over 800 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 and greater occurred

after the initial earthquake• The earthquake managed to shift the Earth on its axis by

estimates of between 10cm and 25cm

The Tsunami

• The earthquake was caused by 5 to 8 meters of up thrust which then resulted in a major tsunami

• The tsunami brought huge destruction along the Pacific coastline of Japan’s northern islands

• Thousands of lives were lost when entire towns were devastated

• Warnings were issued and evacuations carried out in many countries bordering the Pacific

• The tsunami did affect many of these places but the extent was minor

Damage and Effects

• Most of the damage was caused by the tsunami• Estimates of the cost of the damage range well into the tens of

billions of dollars• All of Japan’s ports were briefly closed• The Fujinuma irrigation dam ruptured causing floods• Around 4.4 million homes were left without electricity • The Fukushima Daiichi (nuclear power plant) resulted with

having 3 large explosions and radioactive leakage.• Obviously the transport systems were affected as most of the

ways of transporting were damaged • 15,782 people died, 4086 went missing and 5,932 were injured

Damage and Effects cont.• The Cosmo Oil Company was set on fire by the earthquake. It

was finally put out after 10 days. The fire killed or injured (they are uncertain) 6 people and destroyed storage tanks

• Many facilities around the area were flooded• 754 Cultural Properties were damaged across the area

The Aftermath

• The aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami included both humanitarian crisis and a major economic impact

• Over 340,000 people were displaced in the Tohoku region as a result of the tsunami

• There was a shortage of food, water, shelter, medicine and fuel for any survivors

• Many aid organisations in both Japan and worldwide also responded and the Japanese Red Cross reported that $1 billion was received in donations

The Aftermath cont.

• The economic impact included immediate problems, with industrial production suspended in many factories, and the longer term issue of the cost off rebuilding which was estimated at $122 billion

• If you compare it to the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the East Japan Earthquake brought serious damage to an extremely wide range

• This is a video clip taken on the day of the earthquake and tsunami. It shows how fast the tsunami moves and how little time people had to evacuate

• http://youtu.be/iQfdl7y-blE

Comparisons to The Boxing Day Tsunami

Japan Thailand• 9.0 magnitude 9.0 magnitude• 5-8m up thrust 7m up thrust• 15,782 died 275,000 died• The actual earthquake and tsunami weren’t too

different but the death tolls in both places were quite different

• Both incidents were quite similar in what happened but the damaged and clean up were very different