EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS IN JAPAN: THE GREAT HANSHIN EARTHQUAKE OF 1995
OFORI-AMOAH, Abigail, Department of Geography and Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, Oforiaa@uwec.edu
Earthquakes are catastrophic environmental hazards that leave destruction as their aftermath. Certain regions of the world are more prone to earthquakes than others due to their location on the tectonic plates which cover the earth. The devastation and destruction resulting from earthquakes can have a traumatizing affect on a community. The wrath of an intense earthquake was felt on January 17th 1995 at 5:46 am in Kansai Region of Japan. The Country of Japan is considered an archipelago and is located in an area where several oceanic and continental plates meet resulting in frequent earthquakes, and the formations of volcanoes and hot springs. Many areas of Japan have experienced minor and major earthquakes resulting in minimal damage, to catastrophic damages and thousands of deaths. The earthquake struck the city of Kobe, which is the capital city of the Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai or Kinki Region of Japan. Kobe is one of Japan’s ten largest cities and is located between sea and the Rokko mountain range. Kobe is historically known for being the first Japanese port to be opened for international trade as well as being one of the Japans’ most attractive cities. The Southern Hyogo earthquake or The Great Hanshin Earthquake killed approximately 6,000 people and injured 415,000 people and was measured at a 7.3 on the Richter scale. The Japanese Meteorological society has its own scale for measuring earthquakes named the Shindo scale. The scale describes the degree of shaking at a point on the Earths’ surface rather than measuring the magnitude of the earthquake as the Richter scale does. The Economic devastation as a result of the quake was unmentionable.
REFERENCES
Bardet, J.P., Oka, F., and Yashima, A., 1995, The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster: The January 17, 1995 South Hyogo Prefecture Earthquake, Preliminary Investigation Report February 1995,
http://geoinfo.usc.edu/gees/reports/Report3/japan/KOBE.HTML
Fukushima, G.S., 1995, The Great Hanshin Earthquake, JPRI Occasional Paper, no. 2
http://www.jpri.org/publications/occasionalpapers/op2.html
Japan-Guide.com, http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2116.html
The Japanese Meteorological Agency Seismic Intensity Scale
http://encyclopedia.lockergnome.com/s/b/Japan_Meterological_Agency_seismic_intensity_scale
Wikipedia: Free Encyclopedia, The Great Hanshin Earthquake, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanshin_earthquake