Unit 1: Topic 2 - Case Study 6 - Earthquakes (KOBE)

Question 1

When?

Answer 1

17 January 1995

Question 2

Why?

Answer 2

Eurasian subducts Philippines plate along Kojima fault line that runs beneath Kobe.

Question 3

Where?

Answer 3

Kobe, Japan where the epicentre was found on the Awaji islands.

Question 4

What?

Answer 4

MEDC (More Economically Developed Country)

• 7.2 Richter scale
• Tremors lasting 20 seconds
• injured: 40,000
• Homeless: 300,000
• Deaths: 6,434
• Gas, water and elevated roads collapsed.
• Railway lines buckled (30% of Osaka to Kobe were usable)
• 2 million homes without electricity
• 1 million had to cope without water for 10 days.
• Fires engulfed cities, devouring wooden structures. Impossible to extinguish due to damaged roads and water supply.
• $220 billion damage and economy suffered.
• Panasonic closed temporarily.

Question 5

Responses?

Answer 5

• Friends and neighbours searched through rubble for survivors, joined by emergency services when access was possible.
• Hospitals struggled to cope with amount of injured.
• Major retailers such as ‘7-Eleven’ helped to provide essentials.
• Motorola maintained telephone connections free of charge.
• Railways were 80% operational within a month.
• Took longer to restore road network.
• 80% of port was operational within a year.
• Buildings and structures had to be built aseismic and had to be built further away to reduce ‘domino effect’.