Japan

Tsunami A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: 津波, lit. "harbor wave";[1]English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-nah-mee or /tsuːˈnɑːmi/ tsoo-nah-mee[2]), also called a tsunami wave train,[3] and at one time incorrectly referred to as a tidal wave, is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, usually an ocean, though it can occur in large lakes. Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded.[4] Owing to the immense volumes of water and the high energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides glacier calvings[5] and othermass movements, meteorite ocean impacts or similar impact events, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Tsunami in Japan Japan was hit by an enormous earthquake on March 11, 2011, that triggered a deadly 23-foot tsunami in the country's north. The giant waves deluged cities and rural areas alike, sweeping away cars, homes, buildings, a train, and boats, leaving a path of death and devastation in its wake. Video footage showed cars racing away from surging waves. The United States Geological Survey reported the earthquake and on Monday revised its magnitude from 8.9 to 9.0, which is the largest in Japan's history. The earthquake struck about 230 miles northeast of Tokyo. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings for Russia, Taiwan, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the west coasts the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America. As of Tuesday, March 22, more than 8,600 were confirmed dead. That number will likey continue to rise with more than 13,000 people still missing. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, officially named the Great East Japan Earthquake,[6][7](Japanese: "Eastern Japan Great Earthquake Disaster" (東日本大震災 Higashi Nihon Daishinsai')[fn 1]) was a magnitude 9.0 (Mw) undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast ofJapan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday, 11 March 2011,[2][3][8] with theepicenter approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku and thehypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km (20 mi).[2][9] It was the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful earthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900.[8][10][11] The earthquake triggered extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 38.9 metres (128 ft)[where'].[12] that struck Japan, in some cases traveling up to 10 km (6 mi) inland.[where'][13] In addition to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear accidents, of which by far the most serious was an ongoing level 7 event and 20 km (12 mi) evacuation zone around the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant (see 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents). The overall cost could exceed $300 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster on record.[14][15][16] The Japanese National Police Agency has confirmed 15,093 deaths,[4][5] 5,282 injured,[4][5]and 9,121 people missing[4][5] across eighteen prefectures, as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.[4][5] The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive and severe structural damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse.[13][17] Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water.[18] Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that had built up within their outer containment buildings after cooling system failure. Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6 mi) radius of the Fukushima II Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated. In addition, the U.S. recommended that its citizens evacuate up to 80 km (50 mi) of the plant.[19] Earthquake The 9.0-magnitude (MW) undersea megathrust earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011 at 14:46JST (05:46 UTC) in the western Pacific Ocean at a relatively shallow depth of 32 km (19.9 mi),[25]with its epicenter approximately 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku, Japan, lasting approximately six minutes.[1][2] The nearest major city to the quake was Sendai, on the main island of Honshu, 130 km (81 mi) away. The quake occurred 373 km (232 mi) from Tokyo.[2]The main earthquake was preceded by a number of large foreshocks, and hundreds of aftershockswere reported. The first major foreshock was a 7.2 MW event on 9 March, approximately 40 km (25 mi) from the location of the 11 March quake, with another three on the same day in excess of 6.0 MW.[2][26] Following the quake, a 7.0 MW aftershock was reported at 15:06 JST, followed by a 7.4 at 15:15 JST and a 7.2 at 15:26 JST.[27] Over eight hundred aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater have occurred since the initial quake.[28] United States Geological Survey (USGS) directorMarcia McNutt explained that aftershocks follow Omori's Law, might continue for years, and will taper off in time.[29] One minute before the earthquake was felt in Tokyo, the Earthquake Early Warning system, which includes more than 1,000 seismometersin Japan, sent out warnings of impending strong shaking to millions. The early warning is believed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to have saved many lives.[30][31] Initially reported as 7.9 MW by the USGS, the magnitude was quickly upgraded to 8.8, then again to 8.9,[32] and then finally to 9.0. Geology This earthquake occurred where the Pacific Plate is subducting under the plate beneath northern Honshu; which plate is a matter of debate amongst scientists.[22][34] The Pacific plate, which moves at a rate of 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 in) per year, dips under Honshu's underlying plate releasing large amounts of energy. This motion pulls the upper plate down until the stress builds up enough to cause a seismic event. The break caused the sea floor to rise by several meters.[34] A quake of this magnitude usually has a rupture length of at least 480 km (300 mi) and generally requires a long, relatively straight fault surface Energy This earthquake released a surface energy (Me) of 1.9±0.5×1017 joules,[42] dissipated as shaking and tsunamic energy, which is nearly double that of the 9.1-magnitude 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamithat killed 230,000 people. "If we could only harness the [surface] energy from this earthquake, it would power [a] city the size of Los Angeles for an entire year," McNutt said in an interview.[29] The total energy released, also known as the seismic moment (M0), was more than 200,000 times the surface energy and was calculated by the USGS at 3.9×1022 joules,[43] slightly less than the 2004 Indian Ocean quake. This is equivalent to 9,320 gigatons of TNT, or approximately 600 million times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. Aftershocks Japan experienced over 900 aftershocks since the earthquake with about 60 being over 6.0 M and three over 7.0 M. A 7.7 M and a 7.9 M quake occurred on March 11[61] and the third one on 7 April 2011, with a disputed magnitude. Its epicenter was underwater, 66 km (41 mi) off the coast of Sendai. The Japan Meteorological Agency assigned a magnitude of 7.4, while the U.S. Geological Survey lowered it to 7.1.[62] At least four people were killed, and electricity was cut off across much of northern Japan including the loss of external power to Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant and Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, Causalities The National Police Agency has confirmed 15,093 deaths,[4][5] 5,282 injured,[4][5] and 9,121 people missing[4][5] across eighteen prefectures.[4][5] Prefectural officials and the Kyodo News Agency, quoting local officials, said that 9,500 people from Minamisanriku in Miyagi Prefecture—about a half of the town's population—were unaccounted for the day after the earthquake,[138] and on the same day NHK reported that the death toll in Iwate Prefecture alone might reach 10,000. ------------------------------------------------- Damage and effects Japan's National Police Agency said on 3 April 2011, that 190,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged by the quake and tsunami. Of those, 45,700 were destroyed. The damaged buildings included 29,500 structures in Miyagi Prefecture, 12,500 in Iwate Prefecture and 2,400 in Fukushima Prefecture.[172] The earthquake and tsunami created an estimated 25 million tons of rubble and debris in Japan.[173] Nuclear disasters The Fukushima I, Fukushima II, Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant and Tōkai nuclear power stations, consisting of a total eleven reactors, were automatically shut down following the earthquakeThe April 7 aftershock caused the loss of external power to Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant and Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant but backup generators were functional. Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant lost 3 of 4 external power lines and lost cooling function for as much as 80 minutes. A spill of a couple liters of radioactive water occurred at Onagawa.[177] Europe's Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger addressed the European Parliament on 15 March, explaining that the nuclear disaster was an "apocalypse".[178] As the nuclear crisis entered a second month, experts recognized that Fukushima I is not the worst nuclear accident ever, but it is the most complicated.[179] Dam failure The Fujinuma irrigation dam in Sukagawa ruptured,[206] causing flooding and washing away homes.[207] Eight people were missing and four bodies were discovered by the morning.[208][209][210] Reportedly, some locals had attempted to repair leaks in the dam before it completely failed. Water In the immediate aftermath of the calamity, at least 1.5 million households were reported to have lost access to water supplies.[18][213] By 21 March 2011, this number fell to 1.04 million. Electricity According to Tōhoku Electric Power (TEP), around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity.[215] Several nuclear and conventional power plants went offline after the earthquake, reducing TEPCO's total capacity by 21 GW.[216] Rolling blackouts began on 14 March due to power shortages caused by the earthquake.[217] The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which normally provides approximately 40 GW of electricity, announced that it can currently provide only about 30 GW. This is because 40% of the electricity used in the greater Tokyo area is now supplied by reactors in the Niigata and Fukushima prefectures Oil, gas and coal A 220,000-barrel-per-day[224] oil refinery of Cosmo Oil Company was set on fire by the quake atIchihara, Chiba Prefecture, to the east of Tokyo,[225] while others halted production due to safety checks and power loss.[226][227] In Sendai, a 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery owned by the largest refiner in Japan, JX Nippon Oil & Energy, was also set ablaze by the quake.[224] Workers were evacuated,[228] but tsunami warnings hindered efforts to extinguish the fire until 14 March, when officials planned to do so.[224] ------------------------------------------------- Aftermath The aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami included both a humanitarian crisis and a major economic impact. The tsunami resulted in over 300,000 refugees in the Tōhoku region, and shortages of food, water, shelter, medicine and fuel for survivors. In response the Japanese government mobilized the Self-Defence Forces, whilst many countries sent search and rescue teams to help search for survivors. Aid organizations both in Japan and worldwide also responded, with the Japanese Red Cross reporting $1 billion in donations. The economic impact included both immediate problems, with industrial production suspended in many factories, and the longer term issue of the cost of rebuilding which has been estimated at ¥10 trillion ($122 billion).  ------------------------------------------------- Media coverage Japan's national public broadcaster, NHK, and Japan Satellite Television suspended their usual programming to provide ongoing coverage of the situation.[267] Various other nationwide Japanese TV networks also broadcast uninterrupted coverage of the disaster. Ustream Asiabroadcast live feeds of NHK, Tokyo Broadcasting System, Fuji TV, TV Asahi, TV Kanagawa, and CNN on the Internet starting on 12 March 2011.[268] YokosoNews, an Internet webcast in Japan, dedicated its broadcast to the latest news gathered from Japanese news stations, translating them in real time to English.[269]