Video: Japan Tsunami
GEOG 2152F: Geography of Hazards
Video: Japan Tsunami
1. With respect to plate tectonic processes, describe the specific cause of the earthquake that caused the Japan tsunami. - japan lies near the Eurasian plate and the pacific plate. The pressure was building up for hundreds of years as these plates were pushing together and finally the pressure snapped like a stretched rubber band. The pacific plate was being pushed underneath the Eurasian plate because the pacific plate was more dense. The Eurasian plate was being pulled down and it finally snapped up after so much pressure and thus creating huge waves. 2. How did the geography of the land around Sendai enhance the destruction in that region? - Sendai is mostly farmland, low and flat. No structures to impede the waves, the water was able to easily travel along the flat lands. 3. Why did the walls in Miyako fail to restrain the tsunami? - the quake caused the entire coastline to drop about 3ft, lowering Miyakos walls and making the tsnumi worse. The city was lowered and the water filled up the city since it was lowered. 4. Why was the Fukushima nuclear plant at risk of meltdown? How did the military try to save the plant? - even though the plant sensors shut down the plant there was still alot of heat! And with no power, the cooling system wasn’t online either. coolants were implemented right away. The waves of the water surpassed the defense walls and shut down the plant. Backup batteries tried to keep the plant from over heating but the batteries ran out of power. Japanese military used helicopters to try and drop sea water on to the plant to help cool it down but it did not work. 5. What is Cascadia? Where is it located and why is it a concern? It is a huge fault line located on a stretch from Vancouver to California. Alot of pressure is building in Cascadia and it could create a tsunami similar to Japans’.
Video: Japan Tsunami
1. With respect to plate tectonic processes, describe the specific cause of the earthquake that caused the Japan tsunami. - japan lies near the Eurasian plate and the pacific plate. The pressure was building up for hundreds of years as these plates were pushing together and finally the pressure snapped like a stretched rubber band. The pacific plate was being pushed underneath the Eurasian plate because the pacific plate was more dense. The Eurasian plate was being pulled down and it finally snapped up after so much pressure and thus creating huge waves. 2. How did the geography of the land around Sendai enhance the destruction in that region? - Sendai is mostly farmland, low and flat. No structures to impede the waves, the water was able to easily travel along the flat lands. 3. Why did the walls in Miyako fail to restrain the tsunami? - the quake caused the entire coastline to drop about 3ft, lowering Miyakos walls and making the tsnumi worse. The city was lowered and the water filled up the city since it was lowered. 4. Why was the Fukushima nuclear plant at risk of meltdown? How did the military try to save the plant? - even though the plant sensors shut down the plant there was still alot of heat! And with no power, the cooling system wasn’t online either. coolants were implemented right away. The waves of the water surpassed the defense walls and shut down the plant. Backup batteries tried to keep the plant from over heating but the batteries ran out of power. Japanese military used helicopters to try and drop sea water on to the plant to help cool it down but it did not work. 5. What is Cascadia? Where is it located and why is it a concern? It is a huge fault line located on a stretch from Vancouver to California. Alot of pressure is building in Cascadia and it could create a tsunami similar to Japans’.
