Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami

Geography: Edexcel A Level, topic 1.3.1

Causes and Impacts - Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

In March 2011, there was an earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan. This is an example of a developed country experiencing a disaster.

There was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake east of Sendai, under the sea in the north-west Pacific Ocean.
This earthquake took place on a subduction zone between the Pacific and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Within 45 minutes, a tsunami between 10 and 20 m high struck the eastern coast of Japan.
In some places, the tsunami was 40 m high and travelled up to 20 km inland.

The impacts of the tsunami were very severe:
There were 16,000 known deaths, 3,000 missing and 6,000 injured.
130,000 buildings were destroyed and 145,000 damaged.
There was massive damage to ports, factories and services in coastal areas – over 26 million tonnes of debris was created.
Economic losses were US$300 billion.
A major secondary issue arose when a nuclear power station at Fukushima was flooded and failed. There were fears of a nuclear meltdown and severe pollution.

In March 2011, there was an earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan. This is an example of a developed country experiencing a disaster.

The immediate priority was search and rescue, and stabilisation and prevention of nuclear disaster from the failure of the affected nuclear plant at Fukushima.
A huge amount of temporary housing was provided.
The area around Fukushima was evacuated in the long-term because the effects of nuclear pollution on human health are severe for years after being exposed to it.

In the aftermath, a government report was commissioned to establish principles for recovery.
The report focused on future safety measures (e.g. a higher tsunami wall), greater environmental awareness for future planning (e.g. avoiding flat coastal areas) and long-term support for those who had lost relatives or been otherwise affected.

What kind of tectonic zone did the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami occur on?
Which of the following statements about the 2011 Tohoku earthquake are true?
The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake
Why was the area around Fukushima evacuated after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami?
What was the government post-disaster report for the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami focussed on?