The Tohoku earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan in 2011, near a subduction zone where two tectonic plates clash. One plate moves beneath another into the mantle, the hotter layer beneath the crust, in a subduction zone. The huge plates are rough and adhere to one another, accumulating energy that is released as earthquakes. The Pacific plate dives beneath the overlying Eurasian plate east of Japan. According to scientists, the temblor discharged millennia of built-up stress between the two tectonic plates. In the 2013 research published in the journal Science, scientists dug into the subduction zone soon after the earthquake and discovered a thin, slippery clay layer lining the fault. The experts believe that this clay layer enabled the two plates to slip an astonishing 164 feet apart, allowing the massive earthquake and tsunami to occur (Maximenko et al., 21). Japan is geographically frequently exposed to earthquakes and thus has imposed mechanisms for damage control.
The tsunami evacuation can be described as one that was preceded by warning, preparation, and knowledge. Japan has evolved an advanced system of catastrophe prevention and coping methods against earthquakes and tsunamis over the years, owing to its geological conditions. Tohoku’s impacted people were acutely aware of the danger, as the region had already been hit by numerous tsunamis. The lessons learned from previous disasters have been passed down through the generations. If tsunami strikes, people should follow the outlined infrastructure and the orders from authorities. When the shaking stops, and if there are natural signals or official tsunami warnings, people should flee to a high, inland location as soon as possible. They should stay still unless officials tell them otherwise if they are outside the tsunami hazard zone and hear a warning.
Work Cited
Maximenko, Nikolai, et al. ” Numerical Simulations of Debris Drift from the Great Japan Tsunami of 2011 and their Verification with Observational Reports.” Marine Pollution Bulletin 132, 2018, 5-25.