EARTHQUAKE – JAPAN (AC)
BACKGROUND
Undersea megathrust earthquake
Destructive boundary – Pacific and N American
Earthquake lifted seafloor by 30 feet tsunami (secondary seismic hazard)
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL IMPACTS – Tohoku earthquake 2011 – 9.0
Social
16,000 killed – 90% due to drowning, 6,000 injured
o Huge number of deaths due to high population density – 3 large cities
2/3 of victims over 60 – ageing population
Buildings and infrastructure eg 23 train stations destroyed – reconstruction still taking place 5 years later
Economic
Total cost of earthquake = £181 billion
15 ports damaged decreased trade and imports and exports - 10% of fishing ports destroyed
Loss of electricity implications for TNCs eg Panasonic however, recovered after 6 months = resilience
Environmental
500km2 area of land inundated with water
Reclaimed land liquefaction
Thousands of landslides
Flooding of Fukushima nuclear plant release of radioactive material 30km exclusion zone
Political
Japanese gvmnt injected millions of yen into economy to achieve some stability increased gvmnt debt at a
time when reduction of debt was key political aim
Large popular movement against nuclear power developed after eq
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR SEISMIC ACTIVITY
Modify event itself - Not possible
Modify vulnerability
Japanese Earthquake Early Warning System – gave 90 seconds warning but underestimated intensity –
broadcast on TV and radio
Worlds densest seismometer network (600) – predicted earthquake to a certain extent
Well learnt preparedness drills and education programmes – tsunami maps distributed to all households,
workshops to find evacuation routes
Buildings with aseismic design eg cross bracing, rubber shock absorbers
Fire proofing older wooden buildings common in old districts of Japanese cities
8m tsunami wall – ineffective as wave bigger than anticipated
Japan has some of most advanced preparedness plans in the world (learnt from mistakes of Kobe 1995) however
earthquake was 30x more powerful than expected
Modify losses
Disaster relief teams – 50,000 personnel, 190 aircraft and 25 ships to aid with rescue efforts
Refugee sites on permanent stand by with tents, water and blankets
Vast resources and wealth means Japan has a high level of resilience and is able to mitigate events effectively
BACKGROUND
Undersea megathrust earthquake
Destructive boundary – Pacific and N American
Earthquake lifted seafloor by 30 feet tsunami (secondary seismic hazard)
SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND POLITICAL IMPACTS – Tohoku earthquake 2011 – 9.0
Social
16,000 killed – 90% due to drowning, 6,000 injured
o Huge number of deaths due to high population density – 3 large cities
2/3 of victims over 60 – ageing population
Buildings and infrastructure eg 23 train stations destroyed – reconstruction still taking place 5 years later
Economic
Total cost of earthquake = £181 billion
15 ports damaged decreased trade and imports and exports - 10% of fishing ports destroyed
Loss of electricity implications for TNCs eg Panasonic however, recovered after 6 months = resilience
Environmental
500km2 area of land inundated with water
Reclaimed land liquefaction
Thousands of landslides
Flooding of Fukushima nuclear plant release of radioactive material 30km exclusion zone
Political
Japanese gvmnt injected millions of yen into economy to achieve some stability increased gvmnt debt at a
time when reduction of debt was key political aim
Large popular movement against nuclear power developed after eq
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR SEISMIC ACTIVITY
Modify event itself - Not possible
Modify vulnerability
Japanese Earthquake Early Warning System – gave 90 seconds warning but underestimated intensity –
broadcast on TV and radio
Worlds densest seismometer network (600) – predicted earthquake to a certain extent
Well learnt preparedness drills and education programmes – tsunami maps distributed to all households,
workshops to find evacuation routes
Buildings with aseismic design eg cross bracing, rubber shock absorbers
Fire proofing older wooden buildings common in old districts of Japanese cities
8m tsunami wall – ineffective as wave bigger than anticipated
Japan has some of most advanced preparedness plans in the world (learnt from mistakes of Kobe 1995) however
earthquake was 30x more powerful than expected
Modify losses
Disaster relief teams – 50,000 personnel, 190 aircraft and 25 ships to aid with rescue efforts
Refugee sites on permanent stand by with tents, water and blankets
Vast resources and wealth means Japan has a high level of resilience and is able to mitigate events effectively
