Tohoku Earthquake Japan 2011 Flashcards
What magnitude was the earthquake that occurred on 11 March 2011 off the Japanese coastline?
9.0
This earthquake is known as the Tohoku Earthquake.
What was the depth of the epicenter of the Tohoku Earthquake?
20 miles
How long did the Tohoku earthquake last?
6 minutes
What was the height of the tsunami wave generated by the Tohoku Earthquake?
Over 40 meters
What geological feature caused the tsunami during the Tohoku Earthquake?
Offshore uplift
What type of plate margin is Japan located on?
Convergent/destructive plate margin
Which plates are involved in the tectonic activity around Japan?
Philippine Plate, Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate, North American Plate
How much can the tectonic plates around Japan move each year?
Up to 9 cm
What happens to the Pacific Plate at the convergent margin?
It is being subducted underneath the Eurasian Plate
What was the impact of friction build-up in tectonic plates?
It caused an earthquake when released
How far inland did the tsunami reach in some places?
10 km
What was damaged as a result of the Tohoku Earthquake?
Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant
What was the consequence of the Fukushima disaster?
Meltdown of seven reactors
What significant social movement was influenced by the Fukushima disaster?
A large anti-nuclear movement
Why was the Tohoku Earthquake considered the costliest natural disaster in recorded history?
Due to the development of Japan
Fill in the blank: The earthquake triggered a tsunami which reached heights of _______ when it reached the coast.
40m
True or False: The Tohoku Earthquake occurred on 11 March 2010.
False
What was the economic cost of the disaster?
US$235 billion
This makes it the most expensive natural disaster in world history.
What percentage of people in coastal areas followed tsunami warnings?
58%
The remaining 42% did not follow the warning.
What happened to the nuclear power reactors due to the earthquake?
Meltdown of seven reactors
Radiation levels were over eight times normal levels at one point.
What major transport disruption occurred as a result of the disaster?
Damage to the Tohoku Expressway
Japan’s transport network suffered huge disruptions.
What initiative did the ‘Japan move forward committee’ propose?
Young adults and teenagers could help rebuild parts of Japan
This was in response to the devastation caused by the earthquake.
By how much did parts of North East Japan move closer to North America?
2.4 m
This was due to land movement from the earthquake.
How much did a 250-mile stretch of coastline drop due to the earthquake?
0.6 m
This allowed the tsunami to travel further inland.
How many people died as a result of the disaster?
16,000
Additionally, 6,000 were injured, and 130,000 were displaced.
What was the height of the tsunami wave that flooded the nuclear plant?
9 m
This wave flooded the plant’s generators and electrical wiring.
How many buildings were damaged or destroyed?
332,395 buildings
This includes roads, bridges, railways, and hospitals.
How many households were left without electricity?
4.4 million
This occurred in North-East Japan.
How many earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more were recorded following the main earthquake?
Over 800
These were classified as aftershocks.
What was the maximum height of the tsunami that devastated towns?
Up to 40 m
This resulted in significant loss of life and damage.
What geological phenomenon caused some coastal areas to experience land subsidence?
The earthquake
Some beachfronts dropped by more than 50 cm.
By how much did the Pacific plate shift westwards?
Between 20 and 40 m
This is an estimate by geologists.
How much did the seabed near the epicenter shift?
24 m
The seabed off the coast of the Miyagi province moved by 3 m.
What was the effect of the earthquake on the earth’s axis?
Moved by between 10 and 25 cm
It shortened the day by 1.8 microseconds.
What phenomenon occurred in many parts of Tokyo built on reclaimed land?
Liquefaction
This resulted in damage to 1,046 buildings.
