Huge Earthquake and Tsunami Hits Japan

By: Alec Bergeron

Why earthquakes occur• Earthquakes occur when

transform boundaries collide

• This causes shearing

• As the plates move they get stuck and eventually break causing the ground to shake

• They send out S-waves, P-waves, and surface waves

• S-waves cannot travel through liquid

Largest and Deadliest Earthquakes

• The largest earthquake in history happened in Chile on May 22, 1960. it was a 9.5 on the Richter scale

• The deadliest earthquake in history occurred in Shaanxi, China in 1556

• This earthquake killed 830,000 people

Shaanxi, China

Why tsunamis occur• Tsunamis occur when there is an earthquake in the

ocean or near the ocean• When they are in the middle of the ocean they travel at

extremely high speeds but are not dangerous• They can cross the whole Pacific Ocean in a day• Once they get near the coastline they become much

taller

• In Lituya Bay, Alaska there was a tsunami that was 1720 ft. above sea level

• It occurred on July 9, 1958

• This is by far the tallest tsunami in history

• The earthquake that hit Japan was an 9.0 on the Richter scale

• This is one of the largest earthquakes to be recorded in history

• As of now the death toll is estimated at 10,000

• The earthquake shifted the Earth’s axis by 25 centimeters

• Japan’s entire coast moved about 2.4 meters

• The epicenter of the earthquake was about 80 miles off the east coast of Honshu, Japan

• The cost of the earthquake and tsunami may cost 35 billion dollars

Radiation Problems• The Fukushima nuclear power plant’s power shut down

because of the tsunami• The backup generator also shut down• This may cause the power plant to overheat causing a massive

explosion or causing a radiation leakage which could make thousands of people sick

• The Japanese have tried pumping salt water into it to cool it down

• By doing this, the power plant will never run the right way again• Helicopters are pouring water into the power plant• Fire trucks are all over trying to get as much water onto the

power plant as possible

Video Linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY2HPT7obWE&feature=related

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