The Great East Japan Earthquake, Tohoku Flashcards
When did the Great Tohoku Earthquake occur?
11 March 2011
What was the magnitude of the Great Tohoku Earthquake?
9.0 MW
Where was the epicenter of the Great Tohoku Earthquake located?
70 km offshore of northeast Honshu Island
Which tectonic plates are involved in the Great Tohoku Earthquake?
Pacific and North American plates
The Great Tohoku Earthquake is considered one of the most significant seismic events in the history of which country?
Japan
True or False: The Great Tohoku Earthquake had a magnitude of 8.0 MW.
False
Fill in the blank: The Great Tohoku Earthquake occurred along the boundary between the _______ and North American plates.
Pacific
What was the largest recorded earthquake to have struck Japan?
It lasted six minutes.
How does the earthquake rank in terms of size since 1900?
One of the top five in the world.
What type of earthquake was it?
Undersea megathrust earthquake.
Where was the epicentre of the earthquake located?
70 km east of Oshika peninsula.
What was the focus depth of the earthquake?
Approximately 30 km.
By how much did Honshu island move east due to the earthquake?
2.4 m east.
How much did the Earth shift on its axis because of the earthquake?
By 10-25 cm.
What happened to a 400 km stretch of coastline as a result of the earthquake?
Dropped vertically by 0.6 m.
How much did the sea bed rise after the earthquake?
By about 7 m.
How far did the sea bed move westwards?
By 40-50 m.
What was the height of the very large tsunamis triggered by the earthquake?
Up to 40.5 m in places.
How far inland did the tsunami travel in places like Sendai?
Up to 10 km.
Where did tsunami waves reach besides Japan?
Antarctica.
What significant event occurred in Antarctica due to the tsunami waves?
Breaking off 125 km of ice as giant icebergs.
How high were the tsunami waves that affected the coastline of California and Oregon?
Up to 2.4 m.
What was the estimated damage caused by the tsunami in California and Oregon?
US$10 million.
What was the height of the tsunami wave that overwhelmed Midway Atoll?
1.5 m.
How many nesting birds drowned in the wildlife refuge at Midway Atoll?
110,000.
What magnitude range did many aftershocks fall into?
7.0-8.0 MW.
