Case Study Japan Earthquake

Question 1

Where?

Answer 1

Sendai, Japan (north east)

Question 2

What?

Answer 2

Earthquake and tsunami

Question 3

Date?

Answer 3

11th March 2011 (14:46)

Question 4

Richter scale?

Answer 4

9.0

Question 5

Duration?

Answer 5

6 minutes

Question 6

Causes?

Answer 6

3 tectonic plates meet near Japan, Philippine, Eurasian and Pacific and friction between them caused shock waves and movement was 18km beneath surface

Question 7

Deaths?

Answer 7

15,900 killed - 14,308 by drowning by the 10 metre high tsunami, 667 from collapsed buildings, 145 from burns

Question 8

Primary: building?

Answer 8

129,000 buildings totally collapsed and 4,700 homes. Tsunami swept away anything damaged and anything small enough e.g. Small homes

Question 9

Primary: transport?

Answer 9

Road, railways, bridge and airports around Sendai destroyed and transport chaos around this hub mean getting aid in was difficultl

Question 10

Primary: social - other problems?

Answer 10

Tokyo had no electricity for 4 million homes and offices, international airport closed as well as stock exchange, subway, mobile network and commuters stranded

Question 11

Primary: environmental land?

Answer 11

Land around Sendai sank by 1.2 metres - foundations of remains buildings unsound

Question 12

Primary: electricity and water?

Answer 12

In Sendai region 1.2 million left without electricity and 1.4 million left without water as pipes and pylons broken

Question 13

Secondary: homeless?

Answer 13

530,000 homeless and many forced to flee homes in winter weather making provision of emergency centres challenging

Question 14

Secondary: places for the homeless?

Answer 14

Schools, town halls and parked used and 2,500 evacuation centres created. But 24,000 people left isolated due to transport chaos

Question 15

Secondary: fires?

Answer 15

Caused by cracked gas pipes and sparking damage of power cable destroyed many homes that had survived quake

Question 16

Secondary: total cost?

Answer 16

Was $309 billion and inc. damage to roads, houses, factories, infrastructure representing 4% of Japan’s GDP

Question 17

Secondary: jobs?

Answer 17

Jobs lost due to obliteration of many buildings and associated transport chaos. 300 Ports destroyed (fishing industry destroyed), farmland ruined by salt-water from tsunami and electronic firms offices destroyed

Question 18

Secondary: nuclear?

Answer 18

Fukushima Nuclear reactor went into meltdown (survived earthquake but not tsunami), radiation leaks contaminated land, food and water - long term serious environmental issue

Question 19

Immediate response: from Japan?

Answer 19

Military being brought in to lead search & rescue along with emergency services. PM broadcasts for calm and aircraft used to assess damage. Experts fly in - 59 from UK to help with search & rescue

Question 20

Immediate response: hospital?

Answer 20

Local hospitals struggled to keep up with medical treatment demand due to transport problems and damage to supplies and personnel couldn’t reach hospital

Question 21

Long-term response: recovery?

Answer 21

Very slow given extent of damage - electronics companies moved out of region, destroyed fishing industry contaminated farm land but were able to bring 98% of water supplies back to normal and 99% of landlines working by Nov

Question 22

Long term Response: transport?

Answer 22

Transport networks made more earthquake proof and special disaster prevention routes designated and roads themselves and surrounding buildings reinforced to minimise damage

Question 23

Sustainability: economic?

Answer 23

Many jobs have moved to other regions e.g. Electronics maker fishing and agriculture have still to recover due to radioactive lands

Question 24

Sustainability: social?

Answer 24

Families wiped out or loved ones killed. Atomic divorces talked about and it will take several generations to recover from the loss, stress and worry

Question 25

Sustainability: environmental?

Answer 25

Impossible to recover quickly from radioactive leaks - land and water can remain contaminated for several generations