KOBE

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Kobe Earthquake, Japan

Specification: (on this page)

A case study of an earthquake in a rich part of the world and one from a poorer area – their specific causes; primary and secondary effects; immediate and long-term responses – the need to predict, protect and prepare. Contrasts in

effects and responses will be clear.

Basic facts:

17 January 1995

5.46 am

Philippines plate shifted under Eurasian Plate

Along Nojima faultline

7.2 magnitude

lasting 20 seconds

Steps:

Philippines plate moves towards Eurasian plate

Philippines plate forces down (oceanic plate)

Plates get stuck; pressure builds up

Pressure suddenly released; plate jerks upwards

Earthquake shockwaves travel outwards

Primary effects:

6,434 lives taken (4,600 Kobe residents)

40,000 seriously injured

300,000 homeless

gas mains ruptured

water pipes fractured

parts of elevated roads collapsed (The Great Hanshin Expressway)

railway lines buckled (only 30% of Osaka to Kobe lines usable)

Secondary effects:

2,000,000 homes without electricity

1,000,000 without water for 10 days

fires started by broken gas and electricity lines destroyed wooden buildings

more than 102,000 buildings destroyed

lack of access and water meant fires couldn't be extinguish

damage caused: $220 billion

economy suffered

companies (eg: Panasonic) had to close temporarily

Immediate responses:

residents searched for survivors, joined by emergency services when access was available

hospitals struggled to cope with amount of injured; had to treat and operate in the corridors

major retailers provided services (7-Eleven provided essentials, Motorola maintained telephone connections for free)

aid provided

Long-term responses:

railways 80% operational within a month

roads mostly operational by July

Hanshin Expressway fully opened by September 1996

80% of port operational by 1997 (but much of container shipping business lost)

building practices and codes revised and new changes made

new buildings built further apart - to prevent domino effect

high rise buildings have flexible steel frames or concrete frames reinforced with steel (not wood)

rubber blocks placed under bridges to absorb shocks

Sources:

AQA Geography A textbook (from 2014)

Other useful links:

http://www.coolgeography.co.uk/GCSE/Year11/Managing%20Hazards/Earthquakes/kobe.htm

http://exploregeography.net/earthquake-case-studies-gcse/