Earthquakes in Japan
Earthquake in Japan I- What is an EARTHQUAKE? * An Earthquake is a sudden movement of the earth’s lithosphere caused by a sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust.
II- The Location of Japan. * Located in the Pacific Ocean it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China,North Korea, South Korea and Russia. The Japanese archipelago is located in an area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. III- The Earthquakes in Japan. * The Great Kanto Earthquake, the worst in Japanese history, hit the Kanto plain around Tokyo in 1923 and resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people. * In January 1995, a strong earthquake hit the city of Kobe resulted the death of 6,000 people. * The Great East Japan Earthquake, the earthquake and particularly the ensuing tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and caused a nuclear accident at a power plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
IV- Cause and Effect.
* Cause- Earthquakes can be by : * Fault Movement * Volcanism * Induced Seismicity
In Japan’s case, the cause of the earthquake is Fault Movement. The Pacific Plate, a plate under the Pacific Ocean, moved under Japan. Earthquakes occurring under the ocean are very hazardous to the near townsfolk because it creates shockwaves that disturbs and moves large volumes of water that can cause a tsunami. * Effect * Tsunami * Death * Destruction of properties * Economic Crisis * Destruction of geographical structures
V- Possible Solutions
Nothing can be done to prevent an Earthquake because it occurs naturally. However, there are some methods that can be done and observed to reduce the impact and it’s further damages. * Planning of Location of Infrastructures. * Earthquake education and preparedness plans (e.g. earthquake drills) * Tsunami and Earthquake Monitoring and Warning
II- The Location of Japan. * Located in the Pacific Ocean it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China,North Korea, South Korea and Russia. The Japanese archipelago is located in an area where several continental and oceanic plates meet. III- The Earthquakes in Japan. * The Great Kanto Earthquake, the worst in Japanese history, hit the Kanto plain around Tokyo in 1923 and resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people. * In January 1995, a strong earthquake hit the city of Kobe resulted the death of 6,000 people. * The Great East Japan Earthquake, the earthquake and particularly the ensuing tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and caused a nuclear accident at a power plant in Fukushima Prefecture.
IV- Cause and Effect.
* Cause- Earthquakes can be by : * Fault Movement * Volcanism * Induced Seismicity
In Japan’s case, the cause of the earthquake is Fault Movement. The Pacific Plate, a plate under the Pacific Ocean, moved under Japan. Earthquakes occurring under the ocean are very hazardous to the near townsfolk because it creates shockwaves that disturbs and moves large volumes of water that can cause a tsunami. * Effect * Tsunami * Death * Destruction of properties * Economic Crisis * Destruction of geographical structures
V- Possible Solutions
Nothing can be done to prevent an Earthquake because it occurs naturally. However, there are some methods that can be done and observed to reduce the impact and it’s further damages. * Planning of Location of Infrastructures. * Earthquake education and preparedness plans (e.g. earthquake drills) * Tsunami and Earthquake Monitoring and Warning