Earthquakes and tsunamis: causes, characteristics, and impacts

Earthquake and Tsunami

Tsunamis and earthquakes are both natural disasters arising out of the movement of the earth's tectonic plates. There are a number of risk-management plans in place that can help mitigate each disaster, but some, frankly, are more effective than others. The risk management of both earthquakes and tsunamis are entirely dependent upon the location and severity of the issue. For instance, Japan, which is prone to both, has built a number of tsunami walls designed to protect the shore from waves. They have also built floodgates and channels to redirect the water should it rise above the protection. Some countries plant vegetation like coconut palms or casurina to create a natural barrier, and studies have shown that mangrove forests and enhanced coral reefs can, if worked properly, reduce tsunami wave heights by about 80% (Tsunami Barriers). Both earthquakes and tsunamis can be mitigated by reforestation projects (tsunamis), but building using earthquake proof technology and materials that will "bend" or hold longer, and most particularly by setting up a warning system, by communicating effectively to the populace with an evaluation or preparedness plan, by having an infrastructure available to respond to the disaster, and then a wider range recovery plan. These last few issues are at the core of emergency management, an interdisciplinary field that deals with strategic and tactical ways to mitigate disasters (Copolla).

Part 2 -- The 2011 Tohoku earthquake occurred in March and had a magnitude of about 9.0. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit Japan, and one of the most five powerful earthquakes since 1900. The earthquake triggered tsunami waves that exceeded 130 feet, and travelled about 6 miles inland. The earthquake was so powerful, it moved Japan's main island of Honshu 8 feet east and shifted the Earth's axis by 4-10 inches (Buerk).

The aftermath of the earthquake was both a human and economic disaster. It displaced over 300,000 people, caused tremendous economic damage to the infrastructure of Japan through shortages of food, water, shelter, and fuel. In addition, the economic impact included the immediate costs (insurance, lack of resources, closed or damaged businesses, workforce issues) but also a $122 billion cost of rebuilding. Industrial production was suspended in many factories, and the transportation networks were so affected that many businesses that regularly shipped goods to Japan (Japanese and other imports) were curtailed during the crisis. Power shortages and damage hit the north-east coast of Japan causing a drop in overall production and exports. However, some businesses have recovered and some are doing well thanks to the millions of dollars in aid and construction/clean-up activities. What is important to note is that the earthquake did not just affect Japan, or Japanese markets -- rather, in this age of globalization, it affected many Asian financial markets and certainly a great deal of import/export companies (Abe).