2011 Tohoku Earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Name of Student
Name of Instructor
Date
Contents Introduction 3 Impacts of the Disaster 4 Ethical and Social Issues 6 References 13
Introduction The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan were considered as one of the worst disasters that hit any country in the world. This disaster also affected various parts in Japan particularly the northern areas like the Ibaragi, Fukushima, Miyagi, and Sanriku. Disaster agencies have measured the 2011 earthquake to be around 9.0 in terms of magnitude and specifically occurred at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers (Japan Meteorological Agency, 2011). The earthquake ranked in the 4th spot as the most destructive in the world in terms of its magnitude following Alaska’s 1964 with a magnitude of 9.2, Sumatra’s 2004 with a magnitude of 9.3 and Chile’s 1960 with a magnitude of 9.5. Meanwhile, the EWS or the early warning system of the earthquake was activated after detecting the very first P-wave that lasted for 8 seconds. The tsunami that claimed lives and destroyed millions of properties had recorded a height of around 39 meters.
Area of inundation of the 2011 disaster was primarily projected by the GIA or the Geospatial Information Agency based on satellite photographs and aerial imagery. Meanwhile, field survey after the tsunami was performed on March of 2011 up to the next month. It was planned as an aspect of the collaborative survey and the data have been incorporated into a single outcome. In the meantime, heights of tsunami along the coastlines of Sendai Bay reached almost 10 meters with run-up distances in extending up to 4 kilometers. With these recorded tsunami heights, it is significant that the government will be able to adopt measures related to mitigation and protection against the hazards while promoting education efforts to avoid the loss of life. Interestingly, the waves and their period during the 2011 disaster can be approximated at around 60
Name of Student
Name of Instructor
Date
Contents Introduction 3 Impacts of the Disaster 4 Ethical and Social Issues 6 References 13
Introduction The 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan were considered as one of the worst disasters that hit any country in the world. This disaster also affected various parts in Japan particularly the northern areas like the Ibaragi, Fukushima, Miyagi, and Sanriku. Disaster agencies have measured the 2011 earthquake to be around 9.0 in terms of magnitude and specifically occurred at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers (Japan Meteorological Agency, 2011). The earthquake ranked in the 4th spot as the most destructive in the world in terms of its magnitude following Alaska’s 1964 with a magnitude of 9.2, Sumatra’s 2004 with a magnitude of 9.3 and Chile’s 1960 with a magnitude of 9.5. Meanwhile, the EWS or the early warning system of the earthquake was activated after detecting the very first P-wave that lasted for 8 seconds. The tsunami that claimed lives and destroyed millions of properties had recorded a height of around 39 meters.
Area of inundation of the 2011 disaster was primarily projected by the GIA or the Geospatial Information Agency based on satellite photographs and aerial imagery. Meanwhile, field survey after the tsunami was performed on March of 2011 up to the next month. It was planned as an aspect of the collaborative survey and the data have been incorporated into a single outcome. In the meantime, heights of tsunami along the coastlines of Sendai Bay reached almost 10 meters with run-up distances in extending up to 4 kilometers. With these recorded tsunami heights, it is significant that the government will be able to adopt measures related to mitigation and protection against the hazards while promoting education efforts to avoid the loss of life. Interestingly, the waves and their period during the 2011 disaster can be approximated at around 60
References: Edwards, T., (2007). The Power of Symbols. MultiLingual. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=4&hid=112&sid=32ac6590-9b0d-4db9-bcac-69de0af7b097%40sessionmgr113 Japan Meteorological Agency (2011), Tsunami information (observation) issued 12 March 2011, retrieved 14 March 2011. (Tohoku district.) Archived 18 April 2011 at WebCite Normilem, D. (2011), Scientific Consensus on Great Quake Came Too Late, Science, 332, 22-23. Tsunami Engineering Laboratory in Tohoku University (2011), http://www.tsunami.civil.tohoku.ac.jp/hokusai3/J/index.html Suzuki, G., Sugawara, S., and Moriuchi, M., (n.d.). Visual Communication Environment using Virtual Space Technology. NTT Human Interface Laboratories. United States Geological Survey (2011) Earthquake Report, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqinthenews/2011/usc0001xgp/