Tohuku, Japan Earthquake 2011

Question 1

Background/ tectonic info

Answer 1

400 earthquakes everyday (most tiny but some high magnitude ones)
since 2000, 23 earthquakes of 7.0 have occurred = 16,000 fatalities
movements along plate boundary lying just offshore cause risk of tsunamis
pacific coastal line = vulnerable as densely populated (Tokyo 36million)

Question 2

geophysical info

Answer 2

9.0 MV
largest recorded earthquake to have stuck (6mins)
undersea megathrust earthquake
tsunami waves up to 2.4 m, affected coastline of California, the wave drowned 110,000
epicentre 70km east of Oshika penisula

Question 3

social impacts

Answer 3

16,000 lives, injured 6000, 2/3 of victims were over the age of 60
mass mortality + destruction of crematoria and the power infrastructure created problems of how to dispose of bodies
children separated from their families, 100,000 children affected
2000 young children orphaned or lost one of their parents
reconstruction was still taking place 5 years after the disaster
big rise in anxiety

Question 4

economic impacts

Answer 4

• cost of earthquake + reconstruction 181 billion
• 45,700 buildings destroyed with 143,000 damaged
• 10% of fishing ports damaged
• 4.4 mill households + thousands of businesses lost electricity -> the Fukushima Daiichi power plant all 6 reactors severely damaged = the plant was decommissioned
• experienced power cuts for several weeks (added to economic cost)

Question 5

political impacts

Answer 5

• political fallout from Fukushima nuclear accident spread around the world eg Germany argued against nuclear power
• in Japan large movement against nuclear power + concerns over safer standards + regulation of the nuclear industry