Earthquake in MEDC- Japan Tōhoku Earthquake Earthquake in MEDC- Japan

Facts 30% of the annual earthquakes happen in Japan March 11th 2011 Most powerful earthquake measured in Japan. 8.9 on the Richter scale 5 minutes long with many aftershocks Closest city was Sendai It sent a tsunami 10m high towards the mainland It then triggered a crisis in the near nuclear stations Over 10’000 deaths

What made it so powerful? There are 4 tectonic plates: Eurasian Plate North American Plate Pacific Plate Philippine Sea Plate Build up of pressure & stress Earlier earthquake near by may have triggered it

The buildings in Japanese cities are designed to ‘sway’ during earthquakes Liquefaction The earthquake lasted 5 minutes Energy released = 600 million times energy from Hiroshima bomb Shifted the Earths axis 25cm

The Tsunami Land below sea shifted sending huge waves towards land Waves, 1km apart, travelling 200miles/h Near the coast the waves caught up and formed tsunami 24 minutes after the earthquake. Major one: 3h later 15m high (3 story building) Japan’s North East coast It travelled 10km inland

What were the consequences? Triggered a tsunami Nuclear power plant crisis. Spreading radioactivity into society and towns. 12,431 dead 163,000 abandoned and left their homes for shelter 164,059 homes without electricity 170,000 houses without water 46,027 buildings damaged Total cost of all reparations was 16-25 trillion yen=290 billion CHF Infrastructure, roads, homes and buildings destroyed