Joselyn Rodriguez

April 12, 2016

GEOG 1700
Professor Dastrup

Japan 2011: Tsunami and Nuclear

Disaster
Japan is one of the worlds most densely populated countries housing
approximately 125,000,000 people in its cities. On March 11, 2011 a
magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck along the fault zone near Japan. This was
the countries largest recorded quake and the fourth-largest in the world. The
quake resulted in a devastating tsunami that claimed the lives of 30,000,000
people. There were more than 125,000 buildings that were either washed
away or seriously damaged. Property damage was estimated to be more
than $310 billion. Although, words such as tsunami, earthquake, fault and
typhoon are common among Japanese vocabulary the country was not
prepared for the devastation they experienced that day. The nuclear reactor
meltdown following the tsunami flooding, triggered the worlds second worst
nuclear disaster. Although no deaths are attributed directly to the meltdown,
evacuation of the contaminated region doubled the loss of life in the region.
The Ring of Fire is home to more than 90% of the worlds earthquakes.
Due to its location Japan experiences minor earthquakes on a daily basis but
from time to time it can experience a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Among

other things it can experience a variety of natural disasters such as

tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes and more. These are the result of seismic
activity along fault lines, especially subduction zones where the oceanic
crust is sinking under continental crust. As the crust is sinks into the earths
mantel it can get stuck and pressure can build up. When that pressure
releases it creates an earthquake. Depending on the earthquakes location is
can cause water to create huge waves. As these waves approach the border
of Japan they seem to slow down all the while they are rising higher and
higher. Eventually flooding and taking down anything in its way.
Although the Ring of Fires subduction zone makes it vulnerable to
seismic activity another factor is also at play. The climatic weather makes
Japan prone to natural disasters and hazards. Japan experiences extreme
weather in the form of typhoons, floods and tropical storms. For example,
typhoons occur almost every summer. These typhoons cause floods that
loosen up the ground causing liquefaction. When flooding occurs it can
uproot trees, destroy homes and drag the debris in paths of destruction. In
many ways all of these hazards and natural disasters are connected.
Japan is a wealthy country and has access to some of the highest
functioning monitoring systems in the world. They can monitor seismic
activity and send out early warnings to its citizens. These systematic
warnings can be received through television, radios and cellphones allowing
the public to receive ample warning of an impending disaster. This
technology is amazing and they are truly lucky to have it when there are

many countries that do not have access to these life saving technologies.
Not only do they have warning systems but Japans cities are built to resist
seismic movements. Most of the buildings in Japan are reinforced with steel
bars to hold the structures weight. They can also sway with the movement of
the ground in order to avoid severe damage.
Due to the ever present earthquakes, many Japanese citizens do not
always pay attention to warnings they may receive. For many years,
Japanese scientists warned the citizens of the Japanese island of Tohoku that
the walls they had built to prevent tsunamis would not be strong or high
enough to withstand the waves of water. Only a small group of people in the
village of Fudai heeded their warning and constructed higher walls. When a
tsunami hit the village survived when many perished. This is the case in
many places of the world were certain natural occurrences are frequent.
They disregard the warnings of professionals and pay a high price for it, their
lives. In the event of tsunami people should evacuate their homes and run
for higher ground. If they do not have time to make it to higher ground, they
should attempt to climb trees or go into the highest levels of buildings.
The 2011 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan took them by
surprise. They underestimated the tsunami and because of this it destroyed
the worlds deepest tsunami barrier. The walls that were created to prevent
most of the flooding failed because scientists did not have the correct
estimates. It compromised the nuclear plant and reactors causing an
unnatural disaster. The flooding caused by the tsunami caused infrastructural

damage to buildings, houses and roads. It also obliterated crops, killed

livestock and even displaced ships along the coast. To this day scientists are
still cleaning debris from the affected areas. Many people work hard day
after day cleaning up the debris from the beaches only to find that when
they return there is twice as much debris.
Even though the earthquake happened 5 years ago Japan is still feeling
the secondary effects of the tsunami that ravaged its shores. The country
still has not fully recovered from the devastation. In 2015, there were still
230,000 displaced citizens living in make shift and temporary homes. One of
the biggest discoveries occurred in 2013 when scientists discovered that
radioactive water was leaking from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power
Plant. It had been leaking this poisonous water since the 2011 tsunami. This
water infected marine life, and polluted the water that citizens consumed
causing massive health problems such as cancer. This leak also infected soil
that was used for planting crops to sustain the populace.

This whole

meltdown could have been avoided had the Japanese built their nuclear plant
in an area that would not have been so heavily affected by natural disasters.
But instead they placed it at the mercy of the elements.
In conclusion, Japan has the ability to make improvements to better the
survival rate of their citizens. Although, we may still have a lot of questions
about how and when earthquakes may occur, one thing is very clear. No
nation on earth is fully prepared or infallible against natural disasters. We

need to invest more in international sharing of science and technology in

order to avoid the devastation of Japan.

Water coming over the Tsunami walls.

Debris and ruins of buildings and homes left from the tsunami.

Displace boat from the Japan Tsunami

VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/BCn8kTRxX5I
ArcGIS Map:
http://arcg.is/1MvlaSc
http://arcg.is/1Mvle4t
SOURCES:
"Japan's Megaquake and Killer Tsunami: How Did This Happen?" Japan's
Megaquake and Killer Tsunami: How Did This Happen? Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/japans-megaquake-and-killertsunami-how-did-happen>.
"Ring of Fire." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Fire>.

"Japan Faces up to Failure of Its Earthquake Preparations." Nature.com.

Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110329/full/471556a.html>.
"Fukushima Disaster Could Have Been Prevented, According to New Study;
TEPCO Shortsightedness to Blame." Fukushima Disaster Could Have Been
Prevented. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.fukushimawatch.com/2015-09-25-fukushima-disaster-couldhave-been-prevented-according-to-new-study-tepco-shortsightedness-toblame.html>.

REFLECTION:
In 2011, Japan experienced a devastating earthquake and tsunami that
left cities and villages in ruins. Although, Japan has had a lot of experiences
with both earthquakes and tsunamis they were overwhelmed by its effects
and to this day they are still rebuilding. In Utah, we are still expecting an
overdue 7.0 magnitude earthquake that should occur along the Wasatch
Fault. One of the biggest problems with this is that the fault runs along the
most populated areas in the whole state. Just as Japan had dense population
in its cities that caused a lot of deaths, Utah has the same potential.
Scientists and seismologists study seismic movements and keep track
in hopes of being able to forewarn the population of the big one. Citizens in
Utah need to be prepared and know what kind of protocol they need to follow
in the case of an earthquake. They need to have 72 hour kits at hand to

sustain them through this disaster. Also, they need to have substantial food
storage and a plan to meet up with their families in case of separation.
One of the biggest flaws with the state is that most of its school
buildings are built along the fault line. Cities and neighborhoods are even
built on land that will liquefy after the tremors. This will result in a high
number of causalities and infrastructure damage. The reason these homes
and schools are built in hazardous areas is due to them being cheaper to
purchase. What the state does not take into consideration is that they will
end up paying more money in the end to replace these buildings than they
would have constructing them in safer areas. There is a great lesson that can
be learned from what happened in the 2011 Japan Tsunami. The nuclear
plant was built in a hazardous area and when the tsunami hit it destabilized
the nuclear reactors creating a leak of hazardous radioactive water. This
could have been avoided had they built it in an area that wasnt at the mercy
of the elements.
The United States watches potentially hazardous areas such as
Yellowstone Park. Where one of the worlds largest super volcanoes resides.
This is a smart thing to do because they can learn more about what causes
volcanic activity, how hotspots work and other important factors. They do
these things in order to help others have a warning if it were to erupt. They
should also invest money in helping the citizens of Utah become aware and
forewarned of any possible quakes. There are many things the citizens of

Utah can do by educating themselves of the things they should do to be

prepared.