Earthquakes - AQACase study – Namie Earthquake, 2022
Earthquakes are caused by the release of built-up pressure at plate margins. They can destroy buildings and infrastructure, with devastating and deadly effects.
Japan is a high income country in Asia. On 16th March 2022 a 7.3 earthquake struck the country. The plate boundaries around Japan are complex as the joining of four plates (the North America plate, Pacific plate, Philippine Sea plate, and Eurasian plate) and some microplates take place here. The earthquake happened along a destructive plate boundary, where the Pacific plate subducts. The focus was 41 km deep, and the epicentre was 57 km ENE of Namie, on the coast of Japan.
Effects
Primary impacts
3 people died and just over 200 were injured.
111 homes were destroyed.
A bullet train was derailed. 75 passengers and three crew were trapped onboard, but there were no fatalities or injuries.
Secondary impacts
Parts of the nearby Fukushima nuclear power plant were temporarily shut down , which led to power cuts.
There was damage to roads, railway lines and other infrastructure. Some trains were cancelled.
There was disruption to supply chains, which affected industries such as car and paper production.
Response
Immediately after the earthquake, the Japanese authorities began to assess the damage.
Electricity supplies were restored the following day.
Over 227,000 separate insurance claims were made, amounting to over US$ 1 billion.