Fukushima Tsunami and Earthquake Flashcards
When did the tsunami happen
11th March, 2011
What was the tsunami caused by
a 9.0 magnitude earthquake 45 miles off the coast of Japan - the largest recorded for Japan and 4th globally.
What did the earthquake cause
Tectonic change from the earthquake caused a tsunami
Maximum wave height and distance inland
Waves reached 6 miles inland and the highest got to 40m tall.
How many foreshocks and aftershocks were there?
4 major foreshocks of magnitude 6.0+ and over 800 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5+ which could continue for years.
How did the earthquake effect Japan tectonically
Moved Honshu 2.4m east and lowered parts of its Pacific coast by around 1m. After 3 years it had returned to its original height.
How many deaths and injuries?
Almost 20,000 (19,759), around 6,000 injured (6,242)
How much damage was there?
World Bank estimated $360 billion - the costliest natural disaster in history.
how many were left homeless
125,000
How much warning did people have?
8-10 mins of warning before the tsunami hit
How many people were without electricity and water
4.4 million households without electricity, 1.5 million without water.
what did the tsunami damage a lot of
infrastructure; roads, railways, businesses
What caused a lot of problems
3 Reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant went into meltdown due to loss of electrical power causing a build up of hydrogen gas from failed ventilation systems.
how many people were evacuated because of the meltdown
200,000
why will it be difficult to clean up after the Fukushima nuclear power plant
large amounts of radiation makes it difficult, expensive and time consuming.
How long is it predicted to take to take to clean up after Fukushima nuclear power plant
could take decades
what has Japan done to try and manage the recovery process of the reactor meltdown
created “no go zones” where they can decontaminate the area so people can move back in
how is Japan decontaminating soil
remove topsoil from contaminated areas, put in bags to be treated. 10 million bags treated so far
how many workers has Japan employed to help with decontamination
Thousands of workers have been employed, all needing protective gear which is incinerated every day
How did people’s attitudes change as a result of the nuclear disaster?
Over 80% of the population said they were anti-nuclear and local authorities refused to turn reactors back on, even though they passed safety checks.
What happened to Japan’s largest sea wall
the 16ft wall was destroyed
How much of Japan’s coastline has anti-tsunami sea walls
40%
what factors could have contributed to the high death toll
People continued like normal, trusting the defences.
The storm surge was unexpectedly large meaning it caused lots of damage.
Lots of people also incorrectly assumed they were on high enough ground to be safe.
What shortages were there?
Food, water, shelter, medicine and fuel
How many people were displaced?
350,000
What did Japan mobilise in response
Mobilized the Self-Defence Forces
What international aid did Japan get?
Rescue and expert teams from 29 countries/ international organisations as well as relief supplies and donations from 126 countries/ international organisations
How much debris is estimated to be left in the pacific ocean from the disaster?
Over 1 million tons of debris
How much was donated according to red cross?
$1 billion in donations
what is Japan doing to stop a similar event happening
Policy changed to make sure tsunami walls can deal with rarer but large tsunamis. Also suggested teaching citizens how to evacuate if another large scale tsunami hit.
