Multi Hazardous Environment Case Study

Question 1

What did ‘The Economist’ say about Tohoku tsunami ?

Answer 1

“some natural disasters change history. Japan’s tsunami could be one.”

Question 2

When did the Tohoku earthquake occur ?

Answer 2

March 2011

Question 3

How many Earthquakes occur in Japan per year ?

Answer 3

1500 earthquakes per year

Question 4

Key facts about the Tohoku disaster ?

Answer 4

• magnitude 9.0
• moved the entire island of Honshu 2.4m closer to North America
• shifted the Earth’s axis by 20cm
• made Earth’s day shorter by 1.8microseconds
• caused visible waves in Norwegian fjords

Question 5

How many waves did the tsunami create ?

Answer 5

Created 10 waves, each 1km apart

Wave height 10m, breaching the sea wall

Question 6

What were the primary effects ?

Answer 6

• shaking cause gas pipes to burst leading to fires
• tsunami waves devastated everything in its path
• flooded an area of almost 500 sq km
• in Ichihara, oil refinery burst into flames
• 18000 deaths
• $274bn in damages

Question 7

What were the secondary effects ?

Answer 7

• half a million homeless
• 6mil homes without electricity
• 700 aftershocks for 2 weeks
• Fukushima nuclear power plant leaked radiation
• fears of a nuclear disaster lead to panic selling across global stock markets

Question 8

Immediate Responses ?

Answer 8

• temporary shelter (freezing temp)
• helicopter crews rescued people from rooftops
• 100,000 soldiers mobilised to establish order
• USA, China offered aid
• UK sent 63 search and rescue specialists
• Exclusion zone set up around the Fukushima nuclear plant. (iodine tablets given to prevent radiation sickness)
• no reports of looting or violence

Question 9

Longterm Responses ?

Answer 9

• tsunami defences were inadequate, process of improving them began
• 2013 Japan unveiled a upgraded tsunami warning system
• Reconstruction Design Council set up to plan a long term growth of the Tohoku region. Including subsidies and relaxed planning regulations