Kobe Case Study Flashcards
When did Kobe occur ?
17th January 1995
5:46 am
Time - vulnerable
Where is Kobe ? Location ?
South east Japan
Pacific ring of fire .
How many EQs do Kobe receive annually ?
2000
What did Kobe measure on moment magnitude scale ?
6.9
What did Kobe measure on Richter scale ?
7.4
Why did the EQ occur ?
South east japan lies on a destructive PB
The Pacific plate is pushed underneath Eurasian plate into subduction zone - Benioff zone.
This immense amount of heat builds up energy and tension . Also combined with the friction of plates moving builds up energy.
When released it forms seismic waves
Focus ?
16km below crust
Shallow
Give one reason why EQ was intense ?
As the fault running through Kobe areas had not moved for 50 yearsz
Energy built up
Primary social
5,000 died 25,000 injured 2 million without electricity 1 million without water for 10 days 82% schools damaged.
Secondary social
300,000 made homeless
Many killed due to second quake which hit a couple hours later
People moved into school / town halls for period of time as it was 2 degrees in winter
Primary environmental
Main dock affected
Fires spread
Liquefaction damaged old buildings as area built on soft rock
Secondary environmental
300 fires chases as EQ occurred in morning
Took 2 days to put out
Primary economic
102,000 buildings destroyed especially older ones
Raised motor ways collapsed
90% port destroyed
120 quarry’s destroyed
Secondary economic
Result £100 billion
£132 billion worth of damage
What was set up before the EQ?
Trained emergency services.
Lack of prediction
Poor construction / planning blamed for high death toll
Anything built after 1981 survived
