Japan Earthquake and Tsunami 2011
By Brett Yamane
and David Luikey
March 11th, 2011
• A 9.0 earthquake happened in the Pacific Ocean near Japan.
• This earthquake caused a 23 ft. high tsunami that went 6 miles into Japan
What causes earthquakes?
• Earthquakes are caused when two separate plates compress, diverge or transform.
• That means the plates are being pushed together, pulled apart or are sliding past each other.
Where do earthquakes occur?
• This is a map showing where in the world earthquakes happen. The earthquakes are represented by red dots.
What causes tsunamis?
• Tsunamis are usually caused by underwater earthquakes in the middle of the ocean.
• But to do any serious damage, the earthquake must have a magnitude of at least 7.0
Tsunamis: Diagram
Highest magnitude earthquake on record
• On may 22nd, 1960 an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 hit Chile. The exact number of deaths is unknown, but it has been estimated as high as 5,700.
Tallest tsunami wave on record
• On July 9th, 1958 a massive 1720 ft. wave struck Alaska. The force of the wave was so powerful that it was able to rip trees out of the ground and carry them away.
What do people think?
• Ms. Grant says, “You have some really good information. I was surprised to read about what happened in Alaska.”
Bibliography
• http://www.seismic.ca.gov/tsunami.html • http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/ • http://geology.com/records/biggest-tsunam
i.shtml
• http://www.cnbc.com/id/42024887?__source=yahoo%7Crelated%7Cplayer%7Ctext%7C&par=yahoo
• http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/sfgeo/quaternary/stories/why_break.html
