The 11th March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake,also called the Great East Japan Earthquake, was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan and the fourth most powerful in the world since they started keeping modern records in 1900.
The undersea megathrust earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.1, occurred at a depth of 29 km with epicentre in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted about six minutes.
On the mainland, about 100 km from the epicentre, a maximum earthquake shaking value (Modified Mercalli Intensity), equivalent to intensity IX, was recorded. Peak ground accelerations reached 2.99 g.
Other tremors occurred on the following days and many parts of the city of Tokyo suffered temporary power outages.
Damage following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan
The 2011 Tsunami in Japan
After the 2011 earthquakes, a violent tsunami was generated. The coasts of Japan most affected by the tidal waves (over 10 metres high that reached a speed of about 750 km/h) were the coast of Iwate prefecture, where the highest wave was recorded, hitting land in the vicinity of the city of Miyako, and which reached the extraordinary height of 40.5 metres, and that of Miyagi prefecture, which suffered the greatest damage, with cars, buildings, ships and trains overwhelmed by the waves.
Damage caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan
Measurements of mean sea level indicate that the arrival of the tsunami wave took at least 72 hours to reduce. Passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the tsunami even reached the Mediterranean Sea. Satellite images showed that the fatigue, induced by these oscillations, on the ice mass caused the breakup of the Sulzberger Ice Shelf.
Damage following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan
Damage and victims of the Tōhoku earthquake
The 11th of March 2011 tsunami in Japan was one of the most catastrophic tsunamis in human history. The tsunami caused property damage and most of the victims, more than 15,000, were such because of it. To date, the official number is 15,703 killed or affected, 5,314 injured and 4,647 missing.
In the first moments after the earthquake, fires broke out and several structures were damaged. The antenna at the top of the Tokyo Tower collapsed structurally and was seen visibly sloping from the first hours. Japan’s Shinkansen rail network blocked all high-speed trains, while other rail services in various parts of the country were suspended.
Damage following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan
The tsunami caused the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant disaster, destroying the emergency generators that powered the cooling systems of three of the plant’s reactors. This caused a power outage and blocking of the cooling systems in the first three reactors. In the days after the disaster, following the release of radioactivity into the air and contamination of surrounding soil, the authorities ordered the evacuation of residents within a 20-kilometre radius.
Damage to the Fukushima plant, Japan, 2011
In the city of Sendai, the tsunami flooded the airport. The water supply to at least 1.4 million homes was disrupted and about 3 million peoplewere allegedly left without electricity. In addition, there was a shortage of basic necessities, such as food, water and fuel in several cities of Japan.
Damage following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan
Some countries of the Pacific Ocean suffered minor, widespread damage. The tsunami propagated throughout the Pacific, hitting places such as Coquimbo, Chile, where waves of over two metres were seen, and Crescent City in California, where run-ups of over two and a half metres were recorded. Run-ups of up to 2 metres were also reported in Russia, South America, Hawaii and on the US mainland.
Following the tragic event, Japan received assistance and aid from all over the world. According to the UN, 45 countries offered to send search and rescue teams and many countries sent economic aid to support the affected population.
Damage following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake in Japan