Earthquake Hits Kobe Japan 1995
GEOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT: NATURAL HAZARD
Earthquake Hit Kobe, Japan 1995
“Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do”
Kobe Japan Earthquake 1995
When and where did the hazard occur?
The Great Hanshin Earthquake is another term for Kobe earthquake. It struck on Tuesday, 17th of January 1995. At 5:46 am, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that shook for only 20 seconds on the Richter scale hit Kobe region of southern central Japan. This earthquake was one of the most over whelming earthquakes that occurred in Japan.
What is the cause of the hazard?
Japan is located in three tectonic plate boundaries; the Pacific, Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. A three way destructive plate boundary occurred as a result of a plate movement along the border between the plates. The Kobe earthquake was caused by pressure building as the Philippine Sea plate is subducted underneath the Eurasian plate. The further compressed Philippine Sea plate was affected underneath, likely the less compressed continental Eurasian Plate causing an increase of pressure of the Earth’s crust. Then eventually, earthquakes happen when that pressure is released.
Warnings that the event is about to happen
Japan remains in one of the most active areas for earthquakes. Japan is the world’s second biggest economy. They had an early warning system, but then failed to progress on the day of the happening. It was disappointing that the Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama was too slow and uncommunicative for emergency response. So then it ripped Kobe without warning. The Kobe earthquake occurred out of the blue. The people had no idea it was going to happen. Although, forecasting an earthquake especially the big ones are very hard and don’t always work. After all it didn’t work in the Kobe earthquake.
Summarize the effects Sector | Effects | Social | * Killed 6,433 people * More than 35,000 were injured * 716 aftershocks lasted for weeks * Over 300,000 people were left homeless * 1,000
Earthquake Hit Kobe, Japan 1995
“Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do”
Kobe Japan Earthquake 1995
When and where did the hazard occur?
The Great Hanshin Earthquake is another term for Kobe earthquake. It struck on Tuesday, 17th of January 1995. At 5:46 am, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 that shook for only 20 seconds on the Richter scale hit Kobe region of southern central Japan. This earthquake was one of the most over whelming earthquakes that occurred in Japan.
What is the cause of the hazard?
Japan is located in three tectonic plate boundaries; the Pacific, Eurasian and Philippine Sea plates. A three way destructive plate boundary occurred as a result of a plate movement along the border between the plates. The Kobe earthquake was caused by pressure building as the Philippine Sea plate is subducted underneath the Eurasian plate. The further compressed Philippine Sea plate was affected underneath, likely the less compressed continental Eurasian Plate causing an increase of pressure of the Earth’s crust. Then eventually, earthquakes happen when that pressure is released.
Warnings that the event is about to happen
Japan remains in one of the most active areas for earthquakes. Japan is the world’s second biggest economy. They had an early warning system, but then failed to progress on the day of the happening. It was disappointing that the Prime Minister, Tomiichi Murayama was too slow and uncommunicative for emergency response. So then it ripped Kobe without warning. The Kobe earthquake occurred out of the blue. The people had no idea it was going to happen. Although, forecasting an earthquake especially the big ones are very hard and don’t always work. After all it didn’t work in the Kobe earthquake.
Summarize the effects Sector | Effects | Social | * Killed 6,433 people * More than 35,000 were injured * 716 aftershocks lasted for weeks * Over 300,000 people were left homeless * 1,000