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Merged 8.8 quake in Sendai, Japan

jimbob said:
I had always heard that the Japanese tended to build on the flatter land because of the earthquake risk.

This surprised me when visiting my kiwi friends in Wellington, who also mentioned this, given how geologically active New Zealand is, and the slopes that are built on (in a country that has significantly less population pressure to put it mildly).
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New Zealand (and Wellington in particular) doesn't have any flat land. :p
 
Rolfe said:
Programme on Channel 4 tonight said that one reason the tsunami was so devastating was that the land had fallen! Miyako or Sendai or somewhere had a 10m tsunami wall and was still inundated, because by the time the wave got there the land was 1m lower than it had been. Or that's what they said anyway.

They also said the wave must have been higher than advertised in some places to do what it self-evidently did. I suppose it's not just the height but the amount of water piling in behind it when it hits the sea wall.

Rolfe.
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Some of the really badly hit places seem to be low coastal valleys hemmed in on either side with hills. This funnels and compresses the wave, adding to the devastation. Once you combine that and the factors you've mentioned above, it's a recipe for bad things to happen.
 
Rolfe said:
I suppose it's not just the height but the amount of water piling in behind it when it hits the sea wall.
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That describes the whole phenomena of tsunamis. In the open ocean all the water in a very low frequency (long duration) wave is traveling at roughly 500 miles an hour or so. As the wave approaches the coast, however, the leading edge slows down considerably (below 100 miles an hour). But the water behind it is still moving fast. So it catches up. And that water then slows down while the front of the wave gets higher. But more water is still catching up. And so on. It's the water "piling in behind it" that causes the wave to rise up in height in the first place. That creates a tsunami. And the mass of so much water in the entire wave is what gives it the power to literally scour the landscape of all but the strongest structures.
 
A story about survivors who were cut off from the rest of the world for 12 days:

Severed From the World, Villagers Survive on Tight Bonds and To-Do Lists

HADENYA, Japan — The colossal wave that swept away this tiny fishing hamlet also washed out nearby bridges, phone lines and cellphone service, leaving survivors shivering and dazed and completely cut off at a hilltop community center.

With no time to mourn for their missing loved ones, they were immediately thrust into the struggle to stay alive in the frigid winter cold, amid a hushed, apocalyptic landscape of wrecked homes, crushed vehicles and stranded boats. They had scant food and fuel and no news from the outside world — not even the scope of the devastation.

On Wednesday, after the Japanese military finally reached them for the first time since the tsunami struck 12 days ago, by erecting makeshift bridges and cutting roads through the debris, they told a remarkable tale of survival that drew uniquely on the tight bonds of their once-tidy village, having quickly reorganized themselves roughly along the lines of their original community: choosing leaders, assigning tasks and helping the young and the weak.
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"Horizon Special" programme on UK BBC2 tonight about the Japanese earthquak.e HERE (BBC iPlayer)

BBC iPlayer said:
Professor Iain Stewart examines the powerful geological forces that unleashed the devastating Japanese earthquake, and explores how the release of this power of the planet brought Japan to the brink of a nuclear meltdown.

He follows moment by moment how the earthquake was generated under the Pacific Ocean, travelled to the Japanese mainland, and the rare conditions that unleashed a tsunami.

He also reveals the latest science behind earthquakes - from why we can't predict them, to what causes some of them to reach such power.

Iain shows why our civilisation has developed such a dangerous relationship with earthquakes, and why millions of us continue to live in earthquake zones across the world.
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Some speculation that the event may be a trigger for a large earthquake nearer Tokyo but conversely the gloomy conclusion seemed to be that the prediction of earthquakes is just about impossible and the way forward is preparedness.

A physicist (Prof. Jim AL-Khalili) downplayed the seriousness (of the consequences) of the nuclear plant damage ("it isn't a Chernobyl") but also stated it was of major public concern and that he was worried about higher levels of radioactive substances in the water system thereabouts.

Interesting and informative.

Compus
 
This video just turned up at AOL news:

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/03/27/stunning-video-shows-japan-tsunami-ravage-kesennuma/?ncid=webmail

Stunning and mind boggling..
Here is a comparison of the same area at the beginning, then at the end..

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It was crazy watching that green roofed building get swept away and all the stuff come pouring out of it..
 
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It's a nightmare scenario for farmers in the region. It's arguable that the safety fears are overblown, but that's a moot point when it comes to the economics. If people are afraid, they won't buy it.

Food Contamination May Climb as Japan Fights Radiation Crisis

They are going to be compensated by the government (more debt for the Japanese government) but I don't know if they will be fully made whole.
 
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