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Tohoku, Japan (2011 Earthquake and Tsunami)

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

  • The giant earthquake (Magnitude 9.0) off Tohoku, Japan, was the largest earthquake in Japan’s history.

  • It caused nearly 20,000 casualties, mostly from devastating tsunamis.

  • The earthquake and tsunami also caused serious damage to the Fukushima nuclear power station, causing meltdown of the reactor, hydrogen explosion, and release of radioactive materials.

  • Similar tsunami hazards occurred in the past, but the experience was not utilized to reduce the disaster.

  • The lessons learned include the reexamination for preparedness for such infrequent hazards.

Introduction

A giant earthquake (official name: off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake, abbreviated as the Tohoku earthquake) occurred near northern Honshu, Japan, on March 11, 2011. This earthquake, with magnitude M 9.0, was the largest in Japan’s history, and produced a devastating tsunami disaster, as well as serious damage to the nearby Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station.

The earthquake source parameters provided by...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan

    Kenji Satake

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  1. Kenji Satake
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Correspondence to Kenji Satake .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

    Peter T. Bobrowsky

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Satake, K. (2013). Tohoku, Japan (2011 Earthquake and Tsunami). In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_352

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