Saturday, 12 March 2011

Devastating Effects of Magnitude 9.0 Tōhoku Earthquake



Yesterday (11 March 2016) afternoon at 14:46, the Tōhoku Megathrust Earthquake occurred. The epicenter was just 10 kilometers East of Oshika Peninsula. This is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded to have hit Japan and the 4th most powerful earthquake in the world (since modern record-keeping began in 1900).

The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that reached heights of 40,5m and travelled as far inland as 10km. The earthquake moved the main island of Japan, Honshu, 2,4m East and shifted the Earth on its axis by between 10cm and 25cm. Sound waves created were detected by low orbiting satellites.

The Japanese National Police Agency report confirmed 15 894 deaths, 6 152 injured and 2 562 missing people. They also reported 228 863 misplaced people living in temporary housing due to permanent relocation. 127 290 buildings totally collapsed, 272 288 buildings ‘half’ collapsed and 747 989 buildings were partially damaged. The earthquake damaged roads and railways, caused fires and even the collapse of a dam. 4.4 million Japanese households were left without electricity and a further 1.5 million without water.

The Tōhoku Earthquake also caused nuclear accidents - most notably the level 7 meltdowns that occurred at 3 reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. Hundreds of thousands of residents had to be evacuated. Electrical generators were taken down and there were explosions in at least 3 of the reactors.

The World Bank estimated the economic cost at US$235 billion making the Tōhoku Earthquake and the disasters that followed as a result of it, the most costly natural disaster in world history.
A map of the Japanese Islands showing the various damage caused by the Tōhoku earthquake.