Tohoku earthquake 2011

Question 1

where is Tohoku?

Answer 1

north east japan

Question 2

plate boundary underneath Tohoku?

Answer 2

movement along thrust fault near subduction zone between the pacific and North American plate

Question 3

Tohoku population

Answer 3

roughly 2.1 million

Question 4

primary impacts

Answer 4

social - 16000 dead, 3375 missing
economic - $300 billion dollars of damage, 78 bridges damaged 4,000 roads damaged
environmental - nuclear spills caused 200,000 people to be evacuated and local water and soil to be contaminated.

Question 5

secondary impacts?

Answer 5

• tsunami 39m high reached 10km inland causing major flooding
• fukushima power plant caused 200,000 people to be evacuated and caused contaminated water and soil

Question 6

what caused the Tsunami?

Answer 6

5-8 metre up thrust along a 180km long section of sea bed off the coast of Tohoku

Question 7

short term responses

Answer 7

• JSDF (Japanese self defence force) had drills for magnitude 6.0 earthquakes (michinoku alert)
• within 30 mins 11 military craft assess damage
• 1 min 20 seconds after earthquake all trains stopped without derailment, death or injury.
  -470,000 evacuated

Question 8

long term responses

Answer 8

rebuilt Sendai airport
347km of Tohoku expressway destroyed, fixed by 24th march. provides links with Tokyo.