Paper Example on Tohoku Earthquake: Japan's 4th Largest Recorded Quake

Introduction

Japan encountered a 9.0 magnitude (M) earthquake event on March 11, 2011, and it was named the Tohoku event (Ratnapradipa, 2012). It occurred an estimated one-thirty kilometers off the coast of Japan. Since the arrival of the current Seismometry more than a hundred years ago, Tohoku was documented as the fourth largest earthquake recorded. It is the strongest to occur in Japan, and it set-off a tsunami and led to an accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant. The magnitude of the earthquake cannot be understated since its energy release is equitable to a 9.4M event in addition to the ensuing faulting (Ratnapradipa, 2012). The epicenter of the earthquake was situated offshore Minamisanriku, and it extended approximately 400 km on the strike direction, and the slip was excess of 20m (Kaiser 2011). The earthquake and the ensuing tsunami led devastation in the prefectures Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi. According to estimates, 20,000 people died, and approximately 76,000 houses were destroyed. Also, it is approximated that there $300 billion in damage costs (Kaiser 2011). Considering the devastation caused by the Tohoku earthquake, a comprehensive analysis is important. The seismological aspects of the earthquake are initially examined. The paper then describes the environmental, economic, and social implications of the Tohoku earthquake.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Background

The March 11, 2011 disaster with a magnitude of 9.0 was unprecedented for Japan. The earthquake led to the tsunami and a nuclear reactor meltdown at Fukushima. The crisis of this date was the largest the country had to deal with since the events of the end of World War II. The earthquake and ensuing disasters resulted in more than 20,000 deaths, and the Tohoku coastline was devastated (Nanto, 2011). Also, it is estimated that more than 340,000 people were displaced. The immediate effects of the earthquake included short of electricity and the high needed evacuation services. The physical destruction has been approximated to be around $195 billion to $305 billion (Nanto, 2011). The $305 billion figure is almost four times the physical damage cost of Hurricane Katrina which was estimated at $81 billion.

It is important to examine the seismological settings of the Tohoku earthquake. Japan is located at the intersection of different converging tectonic plates as shown in Figure 1. The movement of the tectonic plates creates pressure that leads to earthquakes. The Pacific plate is driven below the northern Honshu adjacent to the Japan Trench, and the Philippine place is driven below the southern Honshu adjacent to the Nankai Trough (Ratnapradipa, 2012). The sub-ducting plates lock with the overriding plates, and the result is the generation of tectonic strain. The increment of the strain forces over the locked fault surface strength leads to the creation of an earthquake. The magnitude of the earthquake is determined by strain area and the size of the slip along with the interface. The occurrence of the Tohoku earthquake was along with the Pacific plate, and the fault area was estimated to be four hundred km in length and one-fifty km in width with an area slip of 32 m (Ratnapradipa, 2012). It is established that a segment of the northeastern Honshu moved approximately 4 m on the east side and was sub-ducted three-quarter of a meter downwards.

Environmental, Economic, and Social Effects of the Tohoku Earthquake

Environmental Impacts

The Tohoku earthquake and subsequent disasters had implications on the different aspects of environmental health. The compromise on air quality was limited to localized areas. For instance, there were no widespread fires after the incident; however localized areas such as the village of Kesennuma extensively burned (Ratnapradipa, 2012). The radioactive emission only compromised the air quality from the destroyed nuclear reactors and the rubble from the earthquake. Water quality was compromised since the earthquake, and the ensuing tsunami destroyed the sewage treatment facilities. People lacked safe drinking water, and the absence of water treatment and wastewater treatment systems increased the possibility of cholera and typhoid outbreaks. Also, there were detectable traces of radioactive materials in the drinking water. There was a climate change in the area brought about by cold weather resulting in heavy snowing which made it difficult for survivors. Food safety was another area that was extensively affected by the disaster. The massive lack of electricity resulted in rotting of the food in the warehouses and the damaged road infrastructure hampered food delivery. The radioactive emissions from the Fukushima plant contaminated both land and sea. The contamination was extensive to a 120 km area from the plant, and high radiation levels were present in milk and various vegetables.

The March 11 disaster also impacted housing as homes were destroyed. Those that withstood the event had structural damages and were flooded. They were also within the radioactive contamination zone. The Fukushima reactor meltdown exposed the first responder to radiation. The radiation legal limit exposure was raised from 100 to 250 millisieverts (Ratnapradipa, 2012). Some workers received an excess of 240.8 mSv which acutely affects some people and lead to nausea, and damage of lymph, spleen and bone marrow. These are among the most critical aspects of the environmental health that were affected.

Social Impacts

The social impacts of the March 11 disaster include direct and indirect implications. It is estimated that more than 20,000 people died. Four days after the event, it was reported that more than 450,000 people were in shelters due to loss of housing (Kato & Sato, 2011). Daily necessitates such as logistics, electricity, and public transports others were negatively affected. It is estimated that 92.5% of the deaths were as a result of drowning and the rest due to collapsing houses or from fire (Kaiser, 2011). The majority of the effects were experienced in the three prefectures namely Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima. Table 1 below seeks to put into perspective the fatalities that were due to the March 11 Tohoku earthquake.

Economic Impacts

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami directly impacted the northern region of Japan. Despite this localized impact, the financial and economic implications were apparent in the whole of the country's economy and spread to East Asia (Nanto et al., 2011). The impacts of the 9.0 earthquake were magnified by the resulting tsunami that spread six miles inland of Japan. The prefecture's aquaculture distant from the earthquake's epicenter was destroyed as indicated in figure 2. The ensuing tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear accident further complicated the situation. They affected access to gasoline and electricity, and these had a significant effect on the nation's industrial centers.

The adverse implications of the Tohoku earthquake were more than the approximated $309 billion or more considering the compounded destruction from the tsunami and accident at the Fukushima nuclear reactor, the lack of electricity and gasoline scarcity (Nanto et al., 2011). This meant that the rescue and recovery operations are adversely affected. Other powers generating plants were shut down until safety was restored. Due to this, Japan faced rolling blackouts which could go approximately three to four hours. The effect was the disruption of the nation's production capability. Ports and sensitive electronics were destroyed in addition to 2,126 roads, and 56 bridges. More than 245,000 people were placed in evacuation shelters, and many homes were left without power and potable water (Nanto et al., 2011). The area in eastern Tohoku which was greatly impacted account for the country's 6% to 7% GDP. These areas were involved in agriculture, fishing and even manufacturing.

Conclusion

The analysis of the March 11 Tohoku earthquake in Japan is essential for the country and the world at large. It offers a unique setting in which a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami and subsequent nuclear accident at Fukushima. The compounded effects of the triple event destroyed the area of northeast Japan. The impacts were economic, environmental and social. There was widespread damage to Japan's infrastructure, loss of life and environmental effects. It was estimated that approximately 20,000 people lost their lives. The damage to the infrastructure such as road networks and electricity meant that the production capability of the country was hampered. The particulates from the earthquake and localized fires in the area resulted in the contamination of the environment. The Fukushima nuclear plant accident was perhaps the one with the most long-term effects due to the release of the radioactive elements into the environment. It can be concluded that the Tohoku earthquake was one of the events with greatest implications on the social, economic and environmental aspects.

References

Kaiser, G. (2011). Analysis of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami. Retrieved from https://www.ngi.no/download/file/6078

Kato, S., & Sato, Y. (2011). Japan: Economic & Social Impacts of the Earthquake. Retrieved from http://etudes-economiques.mobi/medias/ECOFocus_06_11_20110317_EN.pdf

Nanto, D., Cooper, W., Donnelly, M., & Johnson, R. (2011). Japan's 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami: Economic Effects and Implications for the United States. Retrieved from https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41702.pdf

Ratnapradipa, D., Conder, J., Ruffing, A., & White, V. (2011). The 2011 Japanese Earthquake: An Overview of Environmental Health Impacts. Journal of Environmental Health, 74(6), 42-50.