TECTONIC CASE STUDY - TOHUKU TSUNAMI, JAPAN (DEVELOPED COUNTRY)

Question 1

WHEN ??

Answer 1

11 / 3 / 2011

Question 2

WHERE ??

Answer 2

REGION OF TOHUKU
ON THE ISLAND OF HONSHU
NORTHERN JAPAN

Question 3

WHAT HAPPENED ??

Answer 3

MAGNITUDE 9 EARTHQUAKE HIT NORTHERN JAPAN
FOLLOWED BY TSUNAMI
STRUCK OFF SHORE JAPAN
SUBDUCTION ZONE - 2 EARTH’S TECTONIC PLATES COLLIDE
SUBDUCTION = PLATES SLIDE - ONE BENEATH ANOTHER INTO THE MANTLE (THE HOTTER LAYER BENEATH THE CRUST)

Question 4

SUBDUCTION

Answer 4

SUBDUCTION = PLATES SLIDE - ONE BENEATH ANOTHER INTO THE MANTLE

THE PLATES ARE ROUGH AND STICK TOGETHER THROUGH FRICTION

BUILT UP ENERGY IS RELEASED (ELASTIC STRAIN) CAUSING EARTHQUAKES

EAST OF JAPAN THE PACIFIC PLATE MOVES BENEATH THE EURASIAN PLATE

Question 5

ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Answer 5

DAMAGES = $300 BILLION / 25 TRILLION YEN

LOSS OF ALL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

DOMINIO EFFECT MEANT SHORTAGES ALL ACROSS THE WORLD. eg CAR INDUSTRY

NISSAN AND TOYOTA AFFECTED BADLY AS PARTS/VEHICLES WERE SOURCED IN FACTORIES IN TOHOKU

NISSAN PROFITS = FELL 15%

Question 6

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Answer 6

THE RADIATION FROM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
CONTAMINATED MULTIPLE OCEANS eg SOUTH AND NORTH AMERICA NOTICED THIS

NUCLEAR DISASTER =
AREA INHABITABLE FOR LONG TIME MEANING
MASS MIGRATION AND THE DEATH OF LOTS OF ANIMALS

eg 5 FT HIGH WAVE ON THE PACIFIC OCEAN KILLED MORE THAN 110,000 NESTING SEA BIRDS AT THE MIDWAY ATOLL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Question 7

SOCIAL IMPACTS

Answer 7

DEATHS = 15,891 CONFIRMED
MISSING = +2,500 PEOPLE
LOSS OF HOMES AND BUSINESSES COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN AREAS HIT = PEOPLE HAD NOTHING TO COME BACK TO WHEN RECOVERY WAS UNDERWAY

Question 8

FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Answer 8

TSUNAMI CAUSED A COOLING FAILURE

RESULT = LEVEL 7 NUCLEAR MELTDOWN

RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

300 TONS OF RADIOACTIVE WATER CONTINUES TO LEAK FROM THE PLANT EVERY DAY INTO PACIFIC OCEAN = DETECTED IN CALIFORNIA AND CANADA

FOR SURROUNDING AREAS :

70% HIGHER RELATIVE RISK OF DEVELOPING THYROID CANCER FOR FEMALES EXPOSED AS INFANTS

7% HIGHER RELATIVE RISK OF LEUKAEMIA IN MALES EXPOSED AS INFANTS

Question 9

EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS

Answer 9

A MINUTE (?????) WARNING BEFORE EARTHQUAKE HIT CITY OF TOKYO

STRINGENT SEISMIC BUILDING CODES AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM PREVENTED MANY DEATHS

LET AUTHORITIES KNOW TO - STOP TRAINS, FACTORY ASSEMBLY LINES AND EVACUATING PEOPLE FROM IMPACT ZONES.

RESIDENTS ALSO RECEIVED TEXT ALERTS WITH WARNINGS