Sendai Earthquake

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Sendai earthquake

The 2011 Sendai earthquake and tsunami (Thoku Chih Taiheiy-oki

Jishin[7]?, literally "Thoku regionPacific Ocean offshore earthquake"[FN 1])was a 9.0MWmegathrust

earthquakeoff the coast ofJapanthat occurred at 14:46JST(05:46UTC) on

Friday 11 March 2011.[2][4][8]Theepicenterwas reported to be 130 kilometers (81 mi) off the east coast of

theOshika Peninsula,Thoku, with thehypocenterat a depth of 32 km (20 mi).[9][10]

The earthquake triggeredtsunamiwarnings and evacuations along Japan'sPacificcoast and in at least

20 countries, including the entire Pacific coast ofNorth AmericaandSouth America.[11][12][13]The

earthquake created extremely destructive tsunami waves of up to 10 meters (33 ft) that struck Japan

minutes after the quake, with smaller waves after several hours in many other countries.[8]In Japan, the

waves are reported to have travelled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland.[14]

The JapaneseNational Police Agencyhas officially confirmed 2,414[5][6]deaths, 1,885[5][6]injuries, and

3,118[5][6]people missing across sixteenprefectures, but estimated numbers are far higher, ranging from

thousands to tens of thousands dead or missing.[15]The earthquake and tsunami caused extensive and

severe damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways as well as fires in many areas,

and a dam collapse. Around 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan were left without electricity and

1.4 million without water.[16]Many electrical generators were taken down, and at least threenuclear

reactorspartiallymelted down,[17][18]which prompted evacuations of the affected areas,[19]and a state of

emergency was established. Both reactors believed to have partially melted down have experienced achemicalexplosionextensively damaging their buildings, but the integrity of the inner core-containment

vessel was not compromised and no highly radioactive release from the plants have

occurred.[16][20][21]Residents within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant and a

10 km (6.2 mi) radius of theFukushima II Nuclear Power Plantwere evacuated. Early estimates from AIR

Worldwide place insured losses from the earthquake and tsunami atUS$14.5 to $34.6 billion.[22]Chief

economist for Japan at Credit Suisse, Hiromichi Shirakawa, said in a note to clients that the estimated

economic loss may be around $171183 billion[23]just to the region which was hit by the quake and

tsunami. The Bank of Japan offered a combined 15 trillion (US$183 billion) to the banking system on 14

March 2011[23]to make the conditions in the market normal.

The estimates of theSendaiearthquake's magnitude made it themost powerful earthquake to hit

Japanand thefourth most powerful earthquake in the worldoverall since modern record-keeping began

in 1900.[24][25][26]Japanese Prime MinisterNaoto Kansaid that "in the 65 years after the end of World War

II, this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan."[27]The earthquake movedHonshu2.4 m

(7.9 ft) east and shifted the earth on its rotational axis by almost 10 cm (3.9 in).[28]
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Date 14:46:23, 11 March 2011 (+09:00)

Duration 5 minutes[1]

Magnitude 9.0 Mw[2][3][4]

Depth 32 km (20 mi)[2]

Epicenter location38.322N 142.369ECoordinates:

38.322N 142.369E

Type Megathrust earthquake

Countries or

regions affected

Japan(primary)

Pacific Rim(tsunami)

Total damage Flooding, landslides, fires, building and

infrastructure damage, nuclear incidents

Tsunami Yes

Landslides Yes

Aftershocks At least 517 (32 above 6.0 MW)

Casualties (preliminary)
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Earthquake

The main earthquake was preceded by a number of large foreshocks, beginning with a 7.2 MW event on

9 March approximately 40 km (25 mi) from 11 March quake, and followed by another three on the same

day in excess of 6 MW in magnitude.[24]One minute prior to the effects of the earthquake being felt

inTokyo, theEarthquake Early Warningsystem connected to more than 1,000seismometersin Japan

sent out warnings on television of an impending earthquake to millions. This was possible because the

damaging seismicS-waves, traveling at 4 kilometers per second, took about 90 seconds to travel the

373 km (232 mi) to Tokyo. The early warning is believed by the Japan Meteorological Agencyto have

saved many lives.[29][30]

The earthquake occurred at 14:46 local time in the westernPacific Ocean, 130 km (81 mi) east

ofSendai,Honshu, Japan. Its epicenter was 373 km (232 mi) from Tokyo, according to the United StatesGeological Survey(USGS). Multiple aftershocks were reported after the initial magnitude 9.0 quake. A

magnitude 7.0 aftershock was reported at 15:06 local time, 7.4 at 15:15 local time and 7.2 at 15:26 local

time.[31]Over five hundred aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater have occurred since the initial

quake.[32]Initially reported as 7.9 by the USGS, the magnitude was quickly upgraded to 8.8 and then to

8.9,[24]and then again to either 9.0 or 9.1 according to some sources .[4][8]This earthquake occurred in

theJapan Trench, where thePacific Plateis subducting beneath the plate northern Honshu sits on; the

plate tectonics of the region are complex, and geologists are not sure which plate this is candidates

include theOkhotsk Plate(which is arguably really just a part of either theNorth American Plateor

theEurasian Plate) or theHonshu Microplate(which is arguably just a part of the Okhotsk

Plate).[33][34]What is clear is that the Pacific plate, which moves at a quick rate of 89cm a year dips under

the Japanese plate releasing large amounts of energy. This motion pulls the upper plate down until it

breaks. The break 80 miles off of the coast of Sendai was estimated to be several tens of miles long and

only 15 miles deep, and caused the sea floor to spring up several meters, causing the earthquake[33][35]

A

quake of this size usually has a rupture length of at least 480 km (300 mi) and requires a long, relatively

straight fault line. Because the plate boundary andsubduction zonein this region is not very straight,

earthquake magnitudes are usually expected not to exceed 8 to 8.5; the magnitude of this earthquake

was a surprise to some seismologists.[36]

Thehypocentral regionof this earthquake extends fromoffshoreIwateto offshoreIbaraki Prefectures.[37]The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the

earthquake may have ruptured the fault zone from Iwate to Ibaraki with a length of 500 km (310 mi) and a

width of 200 km (120 mi).[38][39]Analysis showed that this earthquake consisted of a set of three

events.[40]The earthquake may have had a mechanism similar to that ofanother large earthquake in

869with estimated magnitudeMs8.6, which also caused a large tsunami.[41]
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mi#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-38http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-38http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-38http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-40http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-40http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-40http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_wave_magnitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_wave_magnitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_wave_magnitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_wave_magnitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-41http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-41http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-41http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-41http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_wave_magnitudehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/869_Sanriku_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-40http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-38http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-38http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-37http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibaraki_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwate_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypocenterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-36http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subduction_zonehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-grauniad-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-grauniad-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-grauniad-33http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-grauniad-33http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Honshu_Microplate&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_Platehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Platehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okhotsk_Platehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Platehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Trenchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-New_Scientist-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-New_Scientist-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-USGS1-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-32http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-31http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Geological_Surveyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Geological_Surveyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honshuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sendaihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Oceanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-wavehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seismometerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_Early_Warning_(Japan)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-USGS1-24http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreshock


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The quake registered a maximum 7 on theJapan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity

scaleinKurihara,Miyagi Prefecture.[42]Three other prefecturesFukushima,IbarakiandTochigi

recorded upper 6 on the JMA scale. Seismic stations in Iwate,Gunma,SaitamaandChiba

Prefecturemeasured lower 6, recording upper 5 inTokyo.

The quake moved portions of northeast Japan by as much as 13 ft (4.0 m) closer to North

America,[34]making portions of Japan's landmass "wider than before," according togeophysicistRoss

Stein.[34]Portions of Japan closest to the epicenter experienced the largest shifts

Energy

This earthquake released asurface energy(Me) of 1.90.51017

joules,[43]

dissipated as shaking and

tsunamic energy, which is nearly double that of the 9.1-magnitude 2004Sumatran earthquakethat killed

230,000 people, and flung the 2,600 tonApung 1shipTemplate:Convert/2inland. "If we could only

harness the [surface] energy from this earthquake, it would power [a] city the size of Los Angeles for an

entire year", USGS directorMarcia McNuttsaid in an interview.[44]The total energy released (Mw) was

more than 200,000 times the surface energy and was calculated by the USGS WPhase Moment Solution

at 3.91022 joules,[45]slightly less than the 2004 Sumatra quake. This is equivalent to 9.32 teratons

ofTNT(approximately 600 million times that of theHiroshimabomb, or 186,400 times as powerful as

humanity's largest-ever explosive device, theTsar Bomba).

Geophysical impact

According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, the earthquake's enormous

strength shifted the Earth'saxisby 25 centimeters (9.8 in). This deviation led to a number of smallplanetary changes, including thelength of a dayand thetilt of the Earth.[46]The speed of the Earth's

rotation increased, shortening the day by 1.8 microseconds due to the redistribution of Earth's mass.[47]

ResearcherLucy Jonessaid of the precise data, "The Japanese have the best seismic information in the

world... This is overwhelmingly the best-recorded great earthquake ever."[48]

Shinmoedake, a volcano inKyushu, erupted two days after the earthquake. The volcano had erupted in

January 2011; it is not known if the later eruption was linked to the earthquake .[49]

[edit]
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liquityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-Chai-46http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-Chai-46http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-Chai-46http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-47http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-47http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-47http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Joneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Joneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Joneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-48http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-48http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-48http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinmoedakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinmoedakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-49http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-49http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-49http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami&action=edit&section=4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-49http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyushuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinmoedakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-48http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Joneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-47http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-Chai-46http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_tilt#Obliquityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_lengthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotation_around_a_fixed_axishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bombahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasakihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TNT_equivalenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-45http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-44http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcia_McNutthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Convert/2&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apung_1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunamihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-43http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joulehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_energyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-nytimes-34http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Steinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Steinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysicisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-nytimes-34http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiba_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiba_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saitama_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunma_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwate_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tochigi_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibaraki_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-jma-42http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyagi_Prefecturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurihara,_Miyagihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency_seismic_intensity_scalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency_seismic_intensity_scale


5/12


6/12

15:44 JSTErimo-cho Shoya 3.5 m (11 ft)

15:50 JSTSoma 7.3 m (24 ft)

16:52 JSTOarai 4.2 m (14 ft)

These readings were obtained from recording stations maintained by the JMA around the coastline of

Japan. Many areas were also affected by tsunamis of 1 to 3 meters (3.3 to 9.8 ft) in height, and the JMA

bulletin also included the caveat that "At some parts of the coasts, tsunamis may be higher than those

observed at the observation sites". The timing of the earliest recorded tsunami maximum readings ranged

from 15:12 to 15:21, between 26 and 35 minutes after the earthquake had struck. The bulletin also

included initial tsunami observation details, as well as more detailed maps for the coastlines affected by

the tsunamis.[71][72]

Damage and effectsThe degree of damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami combined, most due to the tsunami, is

very great. Film of towns worst affected show nothing more than a pile of rubble, with almost no parts of

any structures left standing.[95]

The extentof the damage was also massive. Estimates of the value of the damage go well into the tens

of billions ofUS dollars; before-and-aftersatellitephotographs of devastated regions show immense

damage to many places.[96][97]

[edit]Nuclear power plants

Main article:2011 Japanese nuclear incidents

Fukushima I,Fukushima II,Onagawa Nuclear Power PlantandTkai nuclear power stationsconsisting of

eleven reactors wereautomatically shut downfollowing the earthquake.[98]Higashidri, also on the

northeast coast, was already shut down for a periodic inspection. However, cooling is needed to

removedecay heatfor several days even when a plant has been shut down. The cooling process is

powered by emergency diesel generators, as in the case ofRokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant.[99]At

Fukushima I and II tsunami waves overtopped seawalls and destroyed diesel backup power systems,

leading to severe problems including two large explosions at Fukushima I and leakage of

radiation.[100]Over 200,000 people have been evacuated.[101]

Seismic recordings at six assessed nuclear power plant facilities indicated the plants had been exposed

topeak ground accelerationsof 0.037 0.383 gandpeak ground velocitiesof 6.18 52.62 cm/sec.[102]
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ri_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-11plants-98http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scramhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkai_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onagawa_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_II_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Japanese_nuclear_incidentshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami&action=edit&section=9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-96http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-96http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_dollarshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-95http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-71http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-71http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaraihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soma,_Fukushimahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erimo,_Hokkaid%C5%8D


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Fukus hima I and II Nuclear Power Plants

Japan declared a state of emergency following the failure of the cooling system at theFukushima I

Nuclear Power Plant,[103]resulting in the evacuation of nearby residents.[104][105]Officials from the

JapaneseNuclear and Industrial Safety Agencyhave reported that radiation levels inside the plant are up

to 1,000 times normal levels,[106]and that radiation levels outside the plant are up to 8 times normal

levels.[107]Later, a state of emergency was also declared at the Fukushima IInuclear power plant about

11 km (7 mi) south.[108]This brings the total number of problematic reactors to six,[109]two of which (unit 1

and 3 at Fukushima I) experienced a partialmeltdown,[17][18][110]A large explosion, thought to be caused by

the buildup ofhydrogengas, blew away the roof and outer walls of the Reactor 1 building, releasing a

large cloud of dust and vapor, but the reactor itself was not damaged in the explosion.[21][111][112]A similar

explosion occurred at Reactor 3 of the Fukushima I plant just after 11:00 am local time on March 14th. An

exterior wall of the building collapsed, but the reactor vessel was not damaged according to a government

spokesperson.[100]

At 16:29 UTC on Monday 14 March (14 March 01:29 UTC), the JapaneseNuclear and Industrial Safety

Agencyannounced that the explosion had occurred. The local population was advised by the authorities

to stay home until the radioactive situation of the environment is totally clarified.[113]Unlike the other five

reactor units, reactor 3 runs on mixed uranium and plutonium oxide, orMOX fuel, making it potentially

more dangerous in an incident due to the neutronic effects of plutonium on the reactor and the

carcinogenic effects in the event of release to the environment.[114][115][116]Tokyo Electric Power

Company(TEPCO) is trying to reduce the pressure within the plants by venting contaminated steam from

the reactor vessels into the atmosphere. According to Tomoko Murakami, of the nuclear energy group at

Japan's Institute of Energy Economics, this would not result in the release of significant

radiation.[117]Residents living within a 20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima I plant were evacuated, as

well as residents within 3 km (1.9 mi) of the Fukushima II plant.[118][119][120][19]

Additionally, it was reported on 14 Mar at 7:00 am EDT that the fuel rods of Reactor 2 at the Fukushima I

plant were now fully exposed, and a meltdown of the fuel rods, with the risk of damage to the reactor

vessel and a possible radioactive leak, could not be ruled out.[121]On 12 March, aBBCjournalist reported

being stopped 60 km from the blast site by police.

[21]

As of 14 March, about 160 people have beenexposed to dangerous radiation levels near the power stations. One plant employee was killed while

operating a crane, eight others have been injured and three are reported to have severe symptoms

ofradiation poisoning.[122]An additional eleven employees were injured when the Reactor 3 building

exploded.[123]Some local residents and health workers have been diagnosed with mild radiation

poisoning.[124]
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ake_and_tsunami#cite_note-121http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_poisoninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_poisoninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-122http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-122http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-122http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-123http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-123http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-123http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-124http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-124http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-124http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-124http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-123http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-122http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_poisoninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBChttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-121http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-TEPCO-7AM-120http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-TEPCO-7AM-120http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-118http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-118http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-117http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Electric_Power_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Electric_Power_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-116http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-114http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-114http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOX_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-113http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_Industrial_Safety_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_Industrial_Safety_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-CNN-explosion2-100http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-112http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-bbc-huge-blast-nuclear-21http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-110http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-autogenerated6-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-autogenerated6-17http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_meltdownhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-109http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-108http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_II_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-107http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-106http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_Industrial_Safety_Agencyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-guardian2011-03-11-104http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-guardian2011-03-11-104http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sendai_earthquake_and_tsunami#cite_note-TWR-103http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_Nuclear_Power_Planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukushima_I_Nuclear_Power_Plant


8/12

On Tuesday, March 15, at 6:10 a.m. local time an explosion occurred at Reactor 2 of the Fukushima I

plant. Radiation "exceeding the legal limit" was detected outside the plant. The government admitted it

was "very probable" that the cores of Reactors 1, 2 and 3 had experienced meltdowns due to high

temperatures.[125]

At 01:17 JST on Sunday 13 March (12 March 16:17 GMT), theJapan Atomic Energy Agencyannounced

that it was rating the Fukushima accident at 4 (accident with local consequences) on the 07International

Nuclear Event Scale(INES), below theThree Mile Island accidentin seriousness.[126]

A US Navy relief group moved from the immediate area after its helicopters detected low-level radiation

while returning to their aircraft carrier from a SAR mission, 160 km (100 miles) offshore. The flight

absorbed the equivalent amount of earthbound background radiation for a month, in the span of about an

hour.[127][128]

Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant

A fire from the turbine section of theOnagawa Nuclear Power Plantfollowing the earthquake was

reported by Kyodo News.[99][129]The blaze was in a building housing the turbine, which is sited separately

from the plant's reactor,[104]

and was soon extinguished.[130]

On 13 March the lowest-level state of emergency was declared regarding the Onagawa plant by TEPCO,

as radioactivity readings temporarily[131]exceeded allowed levels in the area of the plant.[132][133]TEPCO

stated this was due to radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents and not from the Onagawa plant

itself.[134]

Tkai Nuclear Power Plant

The number 2 reactor at Tkai Nuclear Power Plant was shut down automatically.[98]On 14 March it wasreported that a cooling system pump for this reactor had stopped working.[135]Japan Atomic Power

Company stated that there was a second operational pump and cooling was working, but that two of three

diesel generators used to power the cooling system were out of order.[136]

Oil

A 220,000-barrel-per-day[147]oil refinery ofCosmo Oil Companywas set on fire by the quake

atIchihara,Chiba Prefecture, to the east of Tokyo.[148]Major fires broke out elsewhere, such as in the city

ofKesennuma.[149][150]
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9/12

In Sendai, a 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery owned by the largest refiner in Japan,JX Nippon Oil &

Energy, was also set ablaze by the quake.[147]Workers were evacuated,[151]but tsunami warnings

hindered efforts to extinguish the fire until 14 March, when officials planned to do so.[147]

Economic impact

The earthquake and tsunami have had significant immediate impacts on businesses such

asToyota,NissanandHonda, who completely suspended auto production until 14 March.Nippon Steel

Corporationalso suspended production,Toyo Tire & Rubber CompanyandSumitomo Rubber

Industriesshuttered their tyre and rubber production lines, whileGS Yuasaclosed itsautomotive

batteryproduction. This was expected to hinder supply availability for automakers.[169]Tokyo Electric

Power Company,Toshiba,East Japan Railway CompanyandShin-Etsu Chemical Companywere

suggested as the most vulnerable companies as a result of the earthquake.[170]Sonyalso suspended

production at all its six plants in the area, whileFuji Heavy Industriesdiscontinued production at most of its

factories in theGunmaand theTochigi Prefectures.[171]Other factories suspending operations

includeKirin Holdings,GlaxoSmithKline,Nestl[172]andToyotaamid power cuts.[173]The northern Tohoku

region, which was most affected, accounts for about 8 percent of the country's gross domestic productas

it has factories that make products such as cars and beer as well as energy infrastructure. The factory

shutdowns, power cuts and the consequent presumed impact on consumer confidence could hurt the

national GDP for several months, although economistMichael Boskinpredicts "only minimal impact on

the Japanese economy overall."[174]

On 14 March, theBank of Japan, in an attempt to maintain market stability,[175]injected 15 trillion yen into

themoney marketsto assure financial stability amid a plunge in stocks and surge in credit risk. After it set

up an emergency task force to ensureliquidityin the aftermath of the disaster, governorMasaaki

Shirakawaand the bank's board also enlarged a programme to buy government bonds to exchange-

traded funds to the tune of 10 trillion yen. The BOJ chief told reporters cash injections will continue as

needed.[176]

Chief Cabinet SecretaryYukio Edanohas said that Japan's government will convene on 13 March togauge the economic effects of the catastrophe.[177]He also told NHK Television that about 200 billion yen

that was remaining from the budget for the concurrent fiscal year that would end on 31 March would be

used to fund the immediate recovery efforts. Additional measures could also hurt Japan'spublic

debt(which is already the highest in the world). This additional spending could hurt demand for

government bonds.[174]
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10/12

Some economic analysts consider that, ultimately, the catastrophe will improve Japan's economy, with

increased job availability during restoration efforts. An analyst atJPMorgan Chase, citing the1989 San

Francisco earthquakeand the1994 Northridge earthquake, noted that natural disasters "do eventually

boost output." An analyst atSocit Gnraleanticipated that Japan's economy will decline in March but

will revive powerfully in subsequent months. After theKobe earthquake, industrial output dropped 2.6%,

but increased by 2.2% the next month, and 1% the following month. Japan's economy then accelerated

substantially through the next two years, at more than its former rate.[168]Others are of the opinion that the

catastrophe will harm the economy.[178]

[edit]Global financial impact

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, JapansNikkeistock market index saw its futures slide 5%

in after-market trading.[179]TheBank of Japansaid that they would do their utmost to ensure financial

market stability.[180]

Other stock markets around the world were also affected; the GermanDAXlost 1.2% and fell to 6,978

points within minutes.[181]Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell by 1.8%, while South Korea's Kospi index

slumped by 1.3%.[182]By the end of trading on Friday, the MSCI Asia Pacific Index had dropped by

1.8%.[183]Major U.S. stock market indexes rose between 0.5% and 0.7%.[184]Oil prices also dropped as a

result of the closure of Japanese refineries, despite theongoing violence in Libyaand

expecteddemonstrations in Saudi Arabia.US crudedropped as low as $99.01 from $100.08 by lunchtime,

withBrent Crudefalling $2.62 to $112.81.[185]InHong Kong, Financial SecretaryJohn Tsangwarned

investors to "take extra care" as the earthquake may have a short term impact on each local stock

market.[186]

The share prices of the biggestreinsurancecompaniesMunich ReandSwiss Reinsurance Companyfell

following the earthquake on speculation that they may face losses "somewhere in the $10 billion range"

even after certain costs were absorbed by Japans primary insurers and the government.[187]

Peter Bradford, a former member of the United States'Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that the

impact on the nuclear power plant was "obviously a significant setback for the so-callednuclear

renaissance. The image of a nuclear power plant blowing up before your eyes on a television screen is a

first."[188]

[edit]

Government response

Prime MinisterNaoto Kanannounced the government has mobilized theJapanese Self-Defense

Forcesin various earthquake

Documents

Sendai Earthquake