Japan Earthquake
Japan Earthquake 2011, also known as Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tohoku Earthquake is a severe natural disaster that occurred in northwestern Japan on March 11, 2011. The event began with a severe earthquake off the northern coast of Honshu, Japan's main island, which caused extensive damage on land and initiated a series of large Tsunami waves that destroyed several coastal areas of the country, particularly in the Tohoku region (Northeastern Honshu). The Japan Tsunami also initiated a severe nuclear accident at the power station along the coast.
The Japan Disaster
On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 AM, Japan was struck with a magnitude 9.0 earthquake with an epicentre 130 kilometres from its northern pacific coast. The earthquake created a destructive Tsunami with waves estimated to have reached 38 metres. The Japan earthquake 2011 damage and effects in terms of death, injuries, economy, and environment are immense.
Due to the severe Japan earthquake, three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were severely destroyed resulting in significant radiation emissions. On April 12, 2011, the government declared the impaired Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant as a level 7 accident on the International Nuclear and Radiological event scale, similar to that of the 1986 Chernobyl crisis. The government initially created a 20-kilometer exclusion zone around the plant from which the residents were evacuated. Later on May 15, 2011, the authorities began the ejection of those living within 30 kilometers as well as in other sites.
In the initial weeks and months of the Japan Disaster, more than 4 lakhs people were displaced, taking shelters in schools, hotels, public facilities, and homes of friends and relatives. Within 6 months, almost 3,35,000 people had moved into apartments or prefabricated houses provided or paid for by the government. According to the data issued by the Reconstruction Agency, an estimated 3,13,000 people were still displaced and relocated throughout 1215 municipalities as of March 2013.
Causes of Japan Earthquake 2011
The Japan earthquake was caused by a disruption of the outstretch of the subduction zone connected with the Japan stretch, which separates the Eurasian plate from the subducting Pacific plate. A portion of the subduction zone estimated 190 miles long by 95 miles wide stumbled as much as 164 feet to the east-southeast and thrust upward about 33 feet.
The March 2011 Japan disaster was felt as far away as Russia, Kao-hsiung, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Taiwan, Beijing, and China. It was led by several aftershocks including a 7.2-magnitude event centered approximately 25 miles away from the epicenter of the main quake. The abundance of aftershocks, and dozens of 6.0 magnitude or greater and two of 7.0 magnitude or greater, were observed after the days and weeks of the Japan main quake.
March 11, 2011, earthquake was powerful enough to affect the area since the beginning of record-keeping in the late 19th century. It is considered one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. It was later reported that a satellite encircling at the outer edge of Earth’s atmosphere that day had detected infrasonics (very low-frequency sound waves) from the quake.
Japan Earthquake 2011 Damages
The Japan Earthquake 2011 was hit by an extensive earthquake that occurred in the Tohoku region, Northeast Japan, and subsequently by a giant tsunami. These disasters have caused extensive damage to the eastern coast of Japan. The earthquake’s magnitude was 9.0, the strongest ever observed in Japan. The tsunami was also unquestionable as its wave height reached over 38 m. As of early May 2011, over 24 thousand people were reported as dead or missing.
Also, severe accidents at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants No.1 were caused by the effects of the Japan tsunami. Hence, the damage observed by Japanese people can be seen as a huge complex disaster. Although Japan, and the northeast of Japan, in particular, has increased its awareness against earthquakes and tsunamis, huge damage still occurred. The Japan Earthquake resulted in severe damage. Following data were recorded by the Disaster Countermeasures Office (2011a), Office of Prime Minister, on the damage as of 27th April.
Human casualties during the Japan Earthquake include approximately 14,508 dead and 11,452 missing people. Since many areas were left to be investigated, the number was expected to be greater.
The number of extensively collapsed and wiped-out reached to approx 76,000, and the number of those with half and partial damage is approximately over 244,000. Following the severe earthquake, 345 fires were observed to have occurred in 12 prefectures, including cases where the tsunami triggered the fire.
Infrastructure damage was also very widespread. Reported damage included 3,546 areas along roads, 71 bridges, and 26 parts of the railway system. Such damage has a severe effect on the recovery as well as on economic activities. On the other hand, due to the long-term efforts for disaster preparedness, the hundreds of trains in operation, including Tohoku Shin-Kansen, were able to make emergency stops safely, without any deaths or serious injuries.
Basic infrastructure including water supply, electricity, gas lines, and sewage systems was also damaged.
The damage cost of the Tsunami is approximately between 16 and 25 trillion yen.
Impacts of Japan Earthquake 2011
Japan Earthquake 2011 followed by the nuclear crisis faced an immense negative impact on the Japanese economy but a lesser effect was observed in world trade and financial markets. Japan has lost major physical and human capital. Physical damage due to the earthquake has been estimated to be from ＄195 billion to as much as ＄305 billion. More than 23,000 Japanese were killed or missing, and more than 400,000 apartments and other buildings have been completely or partially damaged. The negative effects of the earthquake and tsunami have been heightened by the continuing crisis at the Fukushima nuclear reactors including evacuations, shortages of electricity, radioactive contamination, continuing aftershock, and extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, manufacturing plants, and other large buildings.
Japan Tsunami 2011 Facts
The Japan earthquake that occurred on 11th March 2011 was one of the gigantic earthquakes recorded in the last 100 years and caused shaking at the surface that lasted for approximately 6 minutes.
The magnitude of the earthquake was originally read as 8.9 but was recalculated as a magnitude of 9 as more data became available.
The Japan earthquake shortened Earth’s day by 1.8 microseconds (µs) and shifted Earth’s axis by 17 centimeters (cm).
The 9.0 magnitude earthquake was Japan’s highest recorded and the world’s third-largest earthquake since 1900.
The Japan Earthquake released a 39-meter high tsunami, killing almost 16,000 people and causing a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The Seismic waves during Japan Tsunami caused icebergs to break off in Antarctica, water in Norwegian fjords to splash to and fro and debris from the tsunami washed up along the North American coastline.
Buildings destroyed by the Japan tsunami released thousands of tons of ozone-destroying chemicals and greenhouse gases into the air.
Conclusion
Therefore, the Japan Earthquake 2011 was one of the most severe natural disasters and considered as the most powerful one that occurred in Japan. It caused a number of deaths as well as infrastructure loss. This earthquake also led to a tsunami which led to nuclear disaster as well. All in all it was a deadly disaster. The Japanese Government did their best to deal with the disaster from early warnings to evacuation and saving lives, etc.
FAQs on Japan Earthquake 2011
1. What is a Tsunami?
The word tsunami is composed of the Japanese words "tsu" (which means harbour) and "nami" (which means "wave"). The Tsunami is nothing but a series of large waves that occurs due to aggressive underwater disturbance such as an earthquake or volcanic eruptions or activities near the coast or in the ocean. When a sudden movement of a great volume of water occurs, or if the seafloor is suddenly raised or dropped by an earthquake, big tsunami waves can be formed. The waves rapidly travel out of the area of origin and can be immensely threatening and damaging when they reach the shore.
2. Where did the Japan Tsunami 2011 hit?
The Japan Tsunami on March 11, 2011, occurred with a magnitude of 9.0 and struck off the northeast coast of Honshu in the Japan Trench. A tsunami that occurred by the earthquake reached the coast within 30 minutes, surpassing seawalls and disabling three nuclear reactors within days.
3. How much does a Japan Tsunami damage cost?
The Japan tsunami 2011 caused almost $31 million USD damage in Hawaii and $55 million USD to marine facilities in California. Also, the damage was greatly observed in French Polynesia, Peru, Galapagos Islands, and Chile.
4. What was the Government’s response to the 2011 Japan earthquake?
The Japanese Prime Minister Kan Naoto in the first few hours after the earthquake moved to set up an emergency command center in Tokyo, and a multitude of defenders and some 100,000 members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force were instantly assembled to tackle the crisis. Also, the Japanese government requested that U.S. military workers be available to help in relief efforts and the U.S. A Navy aircraft carrier was sent to the devastated area.
