Geology is different from other sciences. Geologists focus on interpreting the historical record of the earth. It is not always possible for geologists to go to a lab and determine the answer to questions. Geologic questions and answers ultimately come from field observations and investigations (Foley, 1999).
Unit Objectives:
- Determine how earthquakes work (causes).
- Investigate any indicators to predict the next "big one".
- How can we mitigate the effects of the next "big one".
Awesome Information:
Earthquake Stats
Earthquake Stats
- Occurred on March 11, 2011 at 2:46 PM Local Time.
- Magnitude 9.0
- The Epicenter was 80 Miles (130 km) East of Sendai & 231 Miles (373 km) North East of Tokyo. (NASA Earth Observatory)
- More than 1,000 aftershocks have hit Japan since the earthquake, the largest a magnitude 7.9.
- About 250 miles (400 km) of Japan's northern Honshu coastline dropped by 2 feet (0.6 meters).
- The jolt moved Japan's main island of Honshu eastward by 8 feet (2.4 meters).
- The Pacific Plate slid westward near the epicenter by 79 feet (24 m).
Tsunami Stats
Other Items of Interest
- 18,000 deaths (most from drowning)
- The Tsunami reached as high as 128 ft & as far as 6 miles inland.
Other Items of Interest
- It caused a radioactive meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
- In Antarctica, the seismic waves from the earthquake sped up the Whillans Ice Stream, jolting it by about 1.5 feet (0.5 meters).
- The tsunami broke icebergs off the Sulzberger Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
- As the tsunami crossed the Pacific Ocean, a 5-foot high (1.5 m) high wave killed more than 110,000 nesting seabirds at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
- In Norway, water in some fjords pointing northeast toward Japan (up and over the pole) sloshed back and forth as seismic waves from the earthquake raced through.
- The earthquake produced a low-frequency rumble called infrasound, which traveled into space and was detected by the Goce satellite.
Japan Comparison |
Photos of the Aftermath Around Japan |
Geological Studies on the Earthquake
Video Observations
Video 3: Earthquake Raw footage
Video 5: Liquifaction - or liquified soil due to the earthquake
Video 7: Tsunami
Video 9: Tsunami News Footage
Video 11: Japan's Tsunami survivors tell their own story
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Video 2: Watch the seismographs
Video 4: Earthquake Raw Footage
Video 6: Car swept away by tsunami
Video 8: More Tsunami News Footage - very comprehensive
Video 10 National Geographic video short
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For additional information on the Japan earthquake, here are a few sites that I recommend viewing:
Some Documentaries:
Some Documentaries:
- How the Earth was Made - Tsunami - History Channel
- Japan Killer Quake - Nova
References
Foley, D.; McKenzie, G.; Utgard, R (1999) "Investigations in Environmental Geology - 2nd Edition" Prentice Hall p. 40
Oskin, B (August 22, 2014) "Japan Earthquake & Tsunami of 2011: Facts and Information" Live Science, <http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html>, last retrieved Feb 20, 2015)
Oskin, B (August 22, 2014) "Japan Earthquake & Tsunami of 2011: Facts and Information" Live Science, <http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html>, last retrieved Feb 20, 2015)