Earthquake in a rich part of the world - Kobe, Japan Flashcards
What is our case study for an earthquake in an MEDC?
Kobe, Japan
What type of plate boundary is it on?
Destructive
Name the three plates that meet at Japan
Eurasian, Philippine Sea, Pacific
When did the Kobe earthquake happen?
January 17th 1995
What was the strength of the Kobe earthquake?
7.2 on the Richter Scale
How many people died in the Kobe earthquake
5,500
How many buildings were destroyed or damaged?
190,000
What was the economic cost of the Kobe Earthquake?
£80 Billion
Why did the timing of the earthquake matter?
It was in the morning so people were in bed / some were cooking breakfast which led to more fires as a secondary effect
Name an immediate / short term response to the Kobe Earthquake
Japanese government evacuated people to temporary shelters.
People were given clothes, food and blankets.
Fires were put out.
Fire and emergency services searched for survivors.
Hospitals treated the injured.
Motorola maintained phone connections free of charge.
Bulldozers brought in to clear fallen buildings.
Most road connections repaired within a month.
Name a long term response to the Kobe Earthquake
Panasonic back in operation within a year.
Roads repaired.
By January 1999, 134,000 houses had been constructed but some people were still having to live in temporary accommodation.
New buildings built to modern ‘earthquake-proof’ specifications (as older buildings had collapsed).
New buildings built further apart- prevents domino effect.
High rise buildings have ‘flexible’ steel frames.
Rubber blocks under bridges – absorbs shockwaves.
Japanese now practice an earthquake drill every year.
Water, electricity, gas, telephone services were fully working by July 1995
The railways were back in service by August 1995.
A year after the earthquake, most of the port was working but the motorway was still closed.
More instruments were installed in the area to monitor earthquake movements.
