2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami

What happened?

What?

The most terrible disaster in Japan's recorded history was caused by an earthquake followed by a fatal tsunami. This disaster is known as The 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami, or the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

Where did it happen?

Where?

This disaster occurred in the northeast coast of Honshu on the Japan Trench. The northeast coast of Honshu is located in the Tōhoku region. The population of this region was of 2.1 million people at the time.

When did it happen?

When?

This disaster took place on March 11, 2011, at about 14:46 JST. The earthquake lasted for about 6 minutes, and it was just the beginning of the tragedy.

How did it happen?

How?

It all started at 14:46 JST with an undersea megathrust earthquake which had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean at 72 miles from the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku Region, followed by a devastating tsunami with waves of up to 132 feet, or 40 meters high.

Why did it happen?

Why?

Tōhoku is located on a subduction zone, which means that it is where two tectonic plates of the earth collide. This makes this place have a high propensity for earthquakes to happen. The plates involved were the Pacific and Eurasian plates.

Consequences

Consequences

The deadly earthquake was the largest magnitude ever recorded in Japan and the third-largest in the world since 1900. The earthquake itself, just killed about 100 people, due to the Japanese knowledge of earthquakes, but the tsunami was devastating, killing almost 20,000 people. No one was prepared for that.

Damages

Damages

This disaster was massive: 138,000 buildings were destroyed and $360 billion in economic losses were incurred. This was the most expensive disaster in human history. Other than that, there was an ecological disaster due to to the radioactivity released by a meltdown of the reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which is located in that zone. For this meltdown, this tragedy is also known as the "Triple Disaster".

Works Cited

Works Cited

Caryl-Sue. “Mar 11, 2011 CE: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.” National Geographic.

National Geographic Society, 04/06/2020. Web. 05/06/2022. <https://

www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/mar11/tohoku-earthquake-and-tsunami/.>

Ferris, Elizabeth and Solís, Mireya. “Earthquake, Tsunami, Meltdown – The Triple Disaster’s

Impact on Japan, Impact on the World.” Brookings. The Brookings Institution, 03/11/2013.

Web. 5/10/2022. <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2013/03/11/earthquake-

tsunami-meltdown-the-triple-disasters-impact-on-japan-impact-on-the-world/.>

Koshimura, Shunichi and Shuto, Nobuo. “Response to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake

and Tsunami disaster.” Royal Society. The Royal Society Publishing, 10/25/2015.

Web.15/13/2022. <https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2014.0373.>

“On This Day: 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami.” National Centers for Environmental

Information. National Centers for Environmental Information, 03/11/2021. Web.

05/13/2022. <https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami.>

Oskin, Becky. “Japan earthquake & tsunami of 2011: Facts and information.” Live Science.

Future US, Inc., 02/25/2022. Web. 05/09/2022. <https://www.livescience.com/39110-

japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html.>