Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

8/12/2019 Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

1/24

Japans arthquake&Tsunami 2011

(REUTERS)


2/24

Images courtesy of the US Geological Survey

Magnitude 9.0 NEAR

THE EAST COAST

OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Friday, March 11,

2011 at 05:46:23

UTC


3/24

The earthquake

occurred 130

km (80 miles)east of Sendai

and 373 km

(231 miles)

northeast ofTokyo.


4/24

This is one of the largest earthquakes

that Japan has ever experienced.

Part of houses

swallowed by tsunami

burn in Sendai, Miyagi

Prefecture (state)

after Japan was

struck by a strong

earthquake off its

northeastern coast

Friday, March 11,

2011.

New York Times

In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently. Elsewhere

severe flooding occurred due to a tsunami generated by the

earthquake.


5/24

Tsunami waves

swept awayhouses and cars in

northern Japan

and pushed ships

aground.

The earthquake caused some damage

but the tsunami was devastating

The tsunami waves

traveled far inland,

the wave of debrisracing across the

farmland, carrying

boats and houses

with it.


6/24

CNN reported The quake rattled

buildings and toppled cars off bridgesand into waters underneath. Waves of

debris flowed like lava across farmland,

pushing boats, houses and trailers

toward highways.

A number of fires broke out including

one at an oil refinery which was burning

out of control.

Giant fireballs rise from a burning oil

refinery in Ichihara, Chiba Prefecture

(state) after Japan was struck by a

strong earthquake off its northeastern

coast Friday, March 11, 2011.

Los Angeles Times

Fires after earthquakes are often caused by broken gas pipelines


7/24

Lets take a look at tsunami as it hits the

east coast of Japan

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-

pacific-12725646
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12725646


8/24

Globally, this is the 5thlargest earthquake

since 1900 (or 4thdepends on M).

7.8

8

8.2

8.4

8.6

8.8

9

9.2

9.4

9.6

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Magnitude

Year

Great (M > 8) Earthquakes Since 1900

Chile1906

Chile 1960

Alaska 1964

Sumatra 2004

Chile 2010

Japan 2011

Russia 1952

Ecuador 1906

Alaska 1965


9/24

What is a Tsunami?

(harbor wave)Seismic sea waves (NOTtidal waves)

Large ocean wave or series of ocean waves

generated by an earthquake, volcanic eruption,submarine landslide or meteor impact


10/24

How do EQs cause a tsunami?

http://geology.com/articles/tsunami-geology.shtml

http://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resources
http://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resourceshttp://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resourceshttp://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resourceshttp://sese.asu.edu/teacher-resources


11/24

Tsunami causes Unless there is an underwater landslide, strike-

slip EQ WILL NOTcause tsunami

Most tsunami generated by subduction zones

Chile

Alaska

Japan

Cascadia Philippines

Caribbean

New Zealand


12/24

Tsunami wavelength andspeed Long wavelengths (over 100 km)

Travel at high speeds : 450 to 650 mph

316,800 ft = 60 miles


13/24

Nearby the

earthquake there

are only minutes

to evacuate.

However, in manyother regions

there is advance

warning.

How long beforethe tsunami

reaches Los

Angeles?

Projected travel times for the arrival of

tsunami waves across the Pacific


14/24

What happens when tsunamigets near shore? Tsunami slows down (shallower water)

Wave gets taller


15/24

Tsunami nears shore As wave gets into shallow water bottom of

wave drags along ocean floor

Top of wave still moving fast: causes

cresting of wave, and breaking onto shore


16/24

Tsunami warning

Receding of coastal waters ( 5 - 15 minutes before

the strike ).


17/24

Approaching tsunamis are almost always

heralded by a noticeable fall of coastal

waters. Water may recede several hundreds of

meters. If you are on the beach, and you

see water suddenly receding, exposingthe ocean floor, it means that you have

minutes before the tsunami strikes.

What do you do?


18/24

Run for high ground


19/24

Lets take a look at what Japan looks like

before and after

http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/jap

an-quake-2011/
http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/specials/japan-quake-2011/


20/24

Detecting a tsunami Pressure recorder on

bottom of ocean

Buoy to communicatereadings via satellite

Tsunami Warning

Centers issue warning


21/24


22/24

Tsunami Warning Centers Hawaii and Alaska

When EQ considered capable of

generating tsunami, send warning with

estimated arrival time

Once tsunami hits

somewhere, tsunami

watch established tomonitor tide gauges

and ocean buoys


23/24

Tsunami Monitoring Systems

Locations of NOAAs National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) DART stations comprising the operational network


24/24

Tsunami Warning

When warning is issuedlow lyingareas are evacuated

U.S. Coast guard issues warnings overmarine frequencies

Some places have sirens

Documents

Japan Earthquake & Tsunami