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All Hazard Case Studies
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Selling all my hazard case studies that got me an A* in AQA A Level geography. All summarised and colour coded for easy revision.
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Hazard Case StudiesRecent seismic event: Textbook + PMT
Tohouku EQ + Tsunami Japan 2011
General Info:
- Magnitude 9 EQ 100km East of Japan in Pacific caused by Pacific plate subducting under Eurasian
plate – slipped 10 metres.
- Global impacts shifted earth’s axis at least 10cm + calved 125 km squared of icebergs from
Antarctic Coast
- 10 waves, 10 metres in height overwhelmed defence systems = flooded 10 km inland
- 40% of Japan coastline has sea walls
Primary Impacts
Economic:
- Damage cost $235 billion most costly natural disaster in Japan history
Social:
- In Tokyo less buildings collapse but caused skyscrapers to ‘start shaking like trees’ D/T EQ resistant
design
- Impacts vary spatially E.G Minami - Sanriku near sea half ppl dead but places inland left unscathed
- Fires Ichihara oil refinery exploded
- 18000 dead
- 300,000 budlings destroyed
Environmental:
- Flooded an area 500 km2
- Coastal areas experienced subsidence as EQ caused beach fronts to drop by 50cm
Political:
- Japan already most indebted country in the world the $235 billion damage cause increase govt
borrowing + therefore debt. Additionally inadequacies with responding to nuclear disaster caused
frictions within prime ministers residency created instability in April 2011 elections.
Secondary Impacts: 700 aftershocks exacerbated damage
Economic:
- No looting
- Fears of nuclear disasters caused panic selling across global stock markets $200 billion
Social:
- Liquefaction in Tokyo caused further building damage 500,000 homeless for weeks
- 1 million homes no water + 6 million homes no electricity
- 200,000 children now suffer from thyroid abnormalities from radiation exposure
Environmental:
- Explosions / radiation leaks from Fukushima caused worldwide environmental degradation and
biohazards displaced further 50,000 households
Political:
Positive impacts:
- Virgin Atlantic temporarily cancelled flights to Tokoyo + meaning in total 131 services were cancelled
reduced CO2 emissions
Immediate Responses:
- 150,000 in temporary shelters
- 100,000 brought aid essential = food + temporary shelter
- Exclusion zone set up for Fukushima + iodine tablets distributed to prevent radiation sickens +
shutdown power plant
- Quickly sent national Self Defence Force enabled by little destruction as Japan designed to cope with
EQ
- Just 6 days after the quake a motorway was repaired
Long term Responses:
- Many countries such as UK sent rescue teams to help survivors UK sent 63 rescue specialists + 2 dogs
, - Japanese Red Cross reporting $1 billion in donations
EVAL radioactive rubbles still waiting with no prefecture was prepared to accept it = 5 years later 100,000
residents not returned home
Mitigation:
- Structural responses:
o Hard engineering protection Japanese govt set up Reconstruction Design Council (23
billion Yen) = reduced planning regulation and tax incentives to encourage FDI into EQ
resistance / modified buildings like shock absorbers + dampers
o Soft engineering bamboo as used in Kobu Tower Japan very flexible + cheap survived
Japan’s largest EQ in 1988
EVAL = these can be financially extravagant, so cheaper individual BEH responses are favoured like evacuation
or may not undergo adaptations altogether
Nevertheless, with Japan suffering from1/3 of earths EQ likely to implement these measures
Adaption:
- Caused Japan to change their energy mix as before 2011 30% of electricity was from nuclear now it
has changed with more reliance of fossil fuels. Will reduce impacts if seismic event were to disrupt
nuclear power station again.
EVAL extent to which benefits in LR reduces as with Japan in Paris 2015 will reduce GHG emissions +
possibly convert back to nuclear leaving them vulnerable again
Prevention:
- Liquefaction prevented by soil stabilisation + lowering water table as used in two districts near japan
and outlined in ISSMGE
EVAL nevertheless seismic events themselves cannot be stopped or prevented only secondary hazards
caused by these can be E.G soil liquefaction
Preparedness:
- The Japanese Meteorological Agency, gave warning for this seismic event just 3 minutes after the
major earthquake, giving people 20 minutes to get to safety. warnings from the JMSA also helped
save lives + 2013 Japan upgraded Tsunami system
EVAL = Considering First wave hit 30 mins after EQ quality of warning systems irrelevant as not enough time to
evacuate
- Increasing people awareness / education of EQ + changing their perception to be cautious +
Increasing knowledge of evacuation plans and routes every year on 1st September practice EQ +
tsunami drills DROP, COVER, HOLD ON
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