Japan Tsunami and Influences of the Tsunami

Japan Tsunami and Influences of the Tsunami

Class: Geography 2152F

Instructor Name: Mark Moscicki 

Student Name: Qin Liu

Student Number: 250673960

Submission Date:  June 17, 2013

In 2011, the earthquake took place in the Pacific coast of Japan, also known, as the 2011 earthquake, and the 311 earthquakes, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea mega thrust earthquakes off the coast of Japan. It was the most powerful disaster that ever has hit Japan, and one of the most powerful earthquakes around the world since modern record keeping began in 1900. The earthquake caused powerful tsunami waves that reached in the Sendai area. This earthquake triggered the most tragic tsunami for the whole world that Japan has ever experienced which in Sendai.

Japan is an island country of Eastern Asia, which is located in the Pacific Ocean.

In the meantime, according to the lecture that professor taught during the class, Japan was located in the Ring of Fire (an area encircling Pacific Ocean that has high volcanic and earthquake activity), which is the most active earthquake belt, and the tectonic plate was unstable. In this area, the Pacific Plate is moving due to west and continues pushing down into the Earth’s interior crust along a Japan’s east coast. After the movement stop, as the plates stick together for a short period and the energy will continue build up until it explode up. When the earthquake took place in land, the seafloor at the fault will suddenly shift vertically and build up the energy and create a series of massive waves. In that case, Japan is highly prone to earthquakes and constantly experiences them.

Tsunami is often followed by the earthquake and after the tsunami there were still many aftershocks that worsened the impact on the Japanese people and their environment.

The earthquake and the tsunami gave Japan a massive influence especially the Northern Japan. Also affect the other countries like China and the United State. It flooded and destroyed miles of land and lots of infrastructures were destroyed and many people were drown or got injured because of the physical debris.

The most extensive and severe structural damage was in northeastern Japan, including roads destroyed and railways damage as well as fires in many areas, and a dam damages. According to the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, “In the 65 years after the end of World War II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan.”

        The tsunami gave Japan a huge influence on its economic. According to the Nicholas Szechenyi, a specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Japan said, “The northeast region is not as much of a manufacturing hub as western Japan, so that might contribute to the argument that the economic impact in the long term might not be as great.” Also the most affected area was Sendai, which is isolated from Tokyo, which is Japan’s economic capital city. He does not believe the tsunami could effect the Japan’s economic for a long time. He believes that the economic will be able to survive with little to no government intervention and will recover sooner that many think. The cooperation of the international assistance and the government of the Japan can clean up the mass that was made by the earthquake and the tsunami and recover as soon as possible.