The Kobe earthquake.

Essay by mighty_mpk24Junior High, 8th gradeA, May 2003

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Specific Geological causes:

The magnitude of the Hanshin earthquake is 7.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter is 34.6 N 135.0E Awajishima Island, 20 miles south of Kobe and the focus of the earthquake was at North latitude 34 degrees, east longitude of 135 degrees and 16 km of depth (vathena). The cause of the Hanshin earthquake is because of the location where Japan is. Kobe is located the farthest away from the three big tectonic plates: Pacific, Eurasian and Philippine. Kobe is also located right under parts of the fault that was already broken down from big earthquakes in 1944 and 1946, so it would have more possibilities to have an earthquake. Kobe is also a little off the Median Tectonic Line, an area of strike-slip faults. The strike-slip fault is a movement in the crust going up and down which causes earthquakes. The land moved 7 in. horizontally, and 4 in.

vertically at the earthquake. The aftershock of the Hyogo-Ken Nanbu (Hanshin) earthquake, traveled on the north side of the Awaji Island, and also drove across the bay to go along the Honshu coast and then directly underneath the city of Kobe. Because of the aftershock, it caused to travel all the way and especially right beneath Kobe, and also because there were no intersecting and undisturbed fault lines to calm the moving aftershock, Kobe received a lot more damage than most other cities that also got in the way of the aftershock (Seismo). Another factor that caused the Earthquake more devastating than it should have been, it deals with the Japanese way of building houses at that time. Japanese used heavy materials to build the roofs of the housetop, which can cause the earth's crust, move easier.

Impact on Society:

The Kobe earthquake was a...