Kobe Earthquake MEDC 17/01/1995

Facts
1. Earthquake was 7.2 on Richter Scale
2. Focus was 16km below Earth's crust
3. Epicentre was 20 miles south of Kobe
4. Tremors lasted 20 seconds
Causes
1. 1. Japan is near the boundary of the Eurasian and Philippine plates
2. 2. Philippine plate moved towards continental Eurasian
3. 3. Philippine plate sub ducted below the Eurasian as it's denser
4. 4. Plates jammed together, pressure built up
5. 5. Pressure was suddenly released, the plates jerked past one another
6. 6. Earthquake's shock waves then travelled outwards
Responses
1. Short Term
  1. Rescue teams searched for 10 days
  2. People were evacuated
  3. Motorola maintained the phone network for free
  4. 7-11 helped provide rations and essentials
2. Long Term
  1. Planning laws to make buildings 'earthquake proof'
  2. New buildings further apart
  3. Many moved away
  4. Japan has an earthquake drill every year
  5. Jobs were created in construction of new homes
  6. By July, water, gas and electric were all working again
  7. By January 1999 134,000 housing units had been built
Effects
1. Primary
  1. 6,400 were killed
  2. 40,000 seriously injured
  3. 300,000 made homeless
  4. People were trapped in buildings
  5. 1 million were without water for 10 days
  6. Only 30% of roads were usable
  7. Elevated roads collapsed (e.g Great Hanshin Expressway)
2. Secondary
  1. Fires due to broken gas mains
  2. Spread of disease
  3. Cost= $220 billion
  4. Closure of businesses (e.g Panasonic)

Resource summary

	Created by a a about 10 years ago