Geology is different from other sciences. Geologists focus on interpreting the historical record of the earth. It is not always possible for geologists to go to a lab and determine the answer to questions. Geologic questions and answers ultimately come from field observations and investigations (Foley, 1999)
Awesome Information:
Earthquake Stats
Earthquake Stats
- Occurred on March 11, 2011 at 2:46 PM Local Time.
- Magnitude 9.0
- The Epicenter was 80 Miles (130 km) East of Sendai & 231 Miles (373 km) North East of Tokyo. (NASA Earth Observatory)
- More than 1,000 aftershocks have hit Japan since the earthquake, the largest a magnitude 7.9.
- About 250 miles (400 km) of Japan's northern Honshu coastline dropped by 2 feet (0.6 meters).
- The jolt moved Japan's main island of Honshu eastward by 8 feet (2.4 meters).
- The Pacific Plate slid westward near the epicenter by 79 feet (24 m).
- The earthquake shifted Earth on its axis of rotation by redistributing mass, like putting a dent in a wobbling top. The temblor also shortened the length of day by about a microsecond.
Tsunami Stats
Other Items of Interest
- 18,000 deaths (most from drowning)
- The Tsunami reached as high as 128 ft & as far as 6 miles inland.
Other Items of Interest
- It caused a radioactive meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant
- In Antarctica, the seismic waves from the earthquake sped up the Whillans Ice Stream, jolting it by about 1.5 feet (0.5 meters).
- The tsunami broke icebergs off the Sulzberger Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
- As the tsunami crossed the Pacific Ocean, a 5-foot high (1.5 m) high wave killed more than 110,000 nesting seabirds at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
- In Norway, water in some fjords pointing northeast toward Japan (up and over the pole) sloshed back and forth as seismic waves from the earthquake raced through.
- The earthquake produced a low-frequency rumble called infrasound, which traveled into space and was detected by the Goce satellite.
Japan Comparison
Photos of the Aftermath Around Japan
Geological Studies on the Earthquake
Assignment: Video Observations
Day 1: Earthquake Observations (Pg 3-4)
In this unit, we will be investigating the question - "What causes an Earthquake?"
On the 8 observation boxes, make some observations based on the following sub topics:
Box 1, Video 1: Locations, Depths & Topography
Box 2, Video 1: Scaled Relations to Utah
Box 3, Video 1: Stats throughout the year
Box 4, Video 1: Earthquake Activity - Before, During, After
Box 5, Video 2: Seismographs in relation to Waves, Energy & Earthquake Activity
Box 6, Video 3-4: Buildings & Shaking
Box 7, Video 5: Liquefaction
Box 8, Video 6: Tsunami
In this unit, we will be investigating the question - "What causes an Earthquake?"
On the 8 observation boxes, make some observations based on the following sub topics:
Box 1, Video 1: Locations, Depths & Topography
- Where were the Earthquakes mostly located?
- What is the topographical setting along the ocean floor? (the trench)
- How far down are the earthquakes in relation to trench?
Box 2, Video 1: Scaled Relations to Utah
- How long is Japan?
- What region is the bulk of the Earthquakes happening?
- How does this information relate to the size of Utah?
Box 3, Video 1: Stats throughout the year
- How many earthquakes did Japan have in the year
- Calculate how many earthquakes in one day and how many in one hour
- How many large earthquakes did Japan have prior to the big one on March 11
Box 4, Video 1: Earthquake Activity - Before, During, After
- Describe the level of earthquake activity throughout the year.
- What was the activity like before the big one hit
- What was the activity like during the big one while it hit
- What was the activity like after a month and the remainder of the year after it hit
- How many large earthquakes happened before and after the main quake?
Box 5, Video 2: Seismographs in relation to Waves, Energy & Earthquake Activity
- Describe the relationship between the seismograph and the level of shaking.
- Explain the relationship between the seismographs and waves
Box 6, Video 3-4: Buildings & Shaking
- Describe what you see outside the building and inside the building
- Compare what you see to the Haiti Earthquake (8.0), what makes the difference?
Box 7, Video 5: Liquefaction
- Describe what liquefaction is
Box 8, Video 6: Tsunami
- Describe your observations concerning the Tsunami
- Which happens first - the Earthquake or the Tsunami?
- What causes the tsunami to form?
For additional information on the Japan earthquake, here are a few sites that I recommend viewing:
Some Documentaries:
Some Documentaries:
- How the Earth was Made - Tsunami - History Channel
- Japan Killer Quake - Nova
References
Foley, D.; McKenzie, G.; Utgard, R (1999) "Investigations in Environmental Geology - 2nd Edition" Prentice Hall p. 40
Oskin, B (August 22, 2014) "Japan Earthquake & Tsunami of 2011: Facts and Information" Live Science, <http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html>, last retrieved Feb 20, 2015)
Oskin, B (August 22, 2014) "Japan Earthquake & Tsunami of 2011: Facts and Information" Live Science, <http://www.livescience.com/39110-japan-2011-earthquake-tsunami-facts.html>, last retrieved Feb 20, 2015)