Omissions? The earthquake was notable for exposing the vulnerability of the infrastructure. Such was its intensity that even the sensors on the other side of the world picked it. The Kobe Earthquake of January 17, 1995 might not be a characteristic event on the Rokko fault system but an episodic event on subsidiary faults. any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics. Burning and collapsed buildings in Kōbe, Japan, after the January 1995 earthquake. Like all earthquakes, the Kobe earthquake was caused by a sudden movement of the tectonic plates that make up the crust of the earth. The Great Hanshin Earthquake. Updates? The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. In the aftermath of the Kōbe disaster, roads, bridges, and buildings were reinforced against another earthquake, and the national government revised its disaster response policies (its response to the 2004 quake in Niigata prefecture was much faster and more effective). If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. the sudden shaking of Earth's crust caused by the release of energy along fault lines or from volcanic activity. Kōbe was the hardest hit city with 4,571 fatalities, more than 14,000 injured, and more than 120,000 damaged structures, more than half of which were fully collapsed. The earthquake caused 5100 deaths, mainly in Kobe. Eurasian. What: To investigate the Kobe earthquake, finding out what happened, where, what damage was caused and why the damage was so severe. The surface of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates that lie beneath both the land and oceans of our planet. Learn more about environmental hazards with this curated resource collection. Washington, DC 20036, National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Privacy Notice | Kobe, Japan, 1995 (MEDC) On 17th January 1995, an earthquake struck Kobe, a heavily populated urban area in Japan. The focus of the earthquake was 16km beneath the epicentre, 20km from the city of Kobe.Japan, ironically, was named the “most earthquake … The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Terms of Service | You cannot download interactives. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Taking into consideration the entire Kobe and Aum Tokyo scenarios together with the earlier, possibly Aum-related, fireball-explosion-earthquake events of 28 May 1993 at Banjawarn, Western Australia, one is left with a very strong impression of a serious "EM fire" underlying the visible "dark plume of smoke" that rose over Kobe. The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster of 1995 was one of the worst in Japan’s history, killing 6,433 people and causing more than $100 billion in damages. Continental plate involved in the earthquake. Ban went to the city in February, and by the end of the summer his relief work had brought 22 paper-tube cabins to shelter some of those who had lost their homes and a “paper…. Kobe Earthquake Causes Of course, the Kobe Earthquake cause is natural and out of human hands. d) What other primary effects resulted from the earthquake? 1 a) When did the Kobe earthquake occur? Photograph by Karen Kasmauski, National Geographic. Earthquake Kobe Japan 1995 . The Kobe quake was a result of an east-west strike-slip fault where the Eurasian and Philippine plates interact. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. More importantly, the fact that Kobe earthquake has been listed as ‘the costliest natural disaster to befall any single country’ speaks volumes about the damage this earthquake caused to the Japanese economy. The quake cost more than $100 billion in damage, and the Kobe. Pacific and Philippines. The earthquake hit at 5:46 am on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 1995, in the southern part of Hyōgo prefecture, west-central Honshu. January 17th 1995. It also permanently changed the shapes of the fields. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The worst effected area was in the central part of Kobe, a region about 5km … The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. This is because the physical conditions in each place are different. 1145 17th Street NW Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Kobe was largely affected, as the epicentre was only 30 km from the city centre. She or he will best know the preferred format. The Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake was not only powerful ( magnitude 6.9 ), but with the epicentre only 20km southwest of the city, it resulted in massive damage to property and loss of life. It lasted about 20 seconds and registered as a magnitude 6.9 (7.3 on the Richter scale). Physical Causes The earthquake of Kobe at 546am on the 17th January 1995 was caused by the simple matter of the Philippine Plate being forced under the thicker and lighter continental plate the Eurasian. Navigate parenthood with the help of the Raising Curious Learners podcast. Kōbe earthquake of 1995, (Jan. 17, 1995) large-scale earthquake in the Ōsaka-Kōbe (Hanshin) metropolitan area of western Japan that was among the strongest, deadliest, and costliest to ever strike that country. Kobe, Japan is near 3 tectonic plates (great big slabs of the earths crust that move around due to the convection currents massive circuits of lava under the surface of the earth.) The earthquake was caused by a sudden jolt as the Philippine Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription. When those plates scrape against each other and cause an earthquake, the results can be deadly and devastating. The magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Kobe, Japan has resulted in extensive damage and a shocking number of fatalities and injuries. 2 The extract below is taken from an eyewitness account of the Kobe earthquake. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. An emergency transportation network was also devised, and evacuation centres and shelters were set up in Kōbe by the Hyōgo prefectural government. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Kobe-earthquake-of-1995, Tokyo-Yokohama (Great Kantō) earthquake of 1923. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. The number of deaths. The clash of these plates can also cause violent earthquakes, where Earth’s surface shakes. We humans live on a very thin layer of mostly rock which all floats on a sea of liquid called magma. When this happened, the underlying wood materials were exposed, creating a large combustible fuel load. massive slab of solid rock made up of Earth's lithosphere (crust and upper mantle). Date of the Earthquake. The earthquake in Kobe on January, 17, 1995 left 6,425 dead, injured 25,000, displaced 300,000 people, damaged or destroyed 100,000 buildings and caused at least $132 billion worth of damage, or about 2.5 percent of Japan’s national income, making it one of the most expensive natural disasters in history. ...The Kobe earthquake (also known as the Great Hanshin earthquake, Hanshin meaning Osaka-Kobe) was a tragic disaster on several levels.The earthquake lasted just twenty seconds but caused so much damage, trauma and of course, loss. This comparison, along with other structural and geotechnical information that is available, would seem to suggest that the greater damage and the larger numbers of deaths, casualties, and homeless sustained during the Kobe Earthquake were likely caused by the aggregated effects of an extremely dense population, an older building stock, and the predominance of poor soils in the strongly shaken area. Kobe earthquake On January 17th, 1995, Japan was woken at 5:46am by its largest ever recorded earthquake. Something Kobe was unprepared! Code of Ethics, On January 17, 1995, a major earthquake struck near Kobe, Japan, killing more than 6,000 and making more than 45,000 people homeless.4. The Earth’s crust is broken up into a series of massive sections called plates. Building codes in California require builders to meet standards set to minimize structural damage in an earthquake and coastal cities have building code to reinforce roofs and walls to resist a storm’s high winds. National Geographic Headquarters This quake, 7.2 on the Richter Scale, was the worst in half and century. The Hanshin earthquake was the worst earthquake in Japan since the 1923 Tokyo earthquake, which is also called the Great Kanto earthquake. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The problem was pervasive because the majority of the waterfront facilities were reclaimed lands consisting of loose to medium-dense cohesionless fills. system or order of a nation, state, or other political unit. On the other hand the Kobe Earthquake effects were magnified by man-made issues. The movement was caused by the friction from the Eurasian and Philippine plates converging. The earthquake resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and over 30,000 injuries. The quake cost more than $100 billion in damage, and the Kobe government spent years construct ing new facilities to attract back the 50,000 people who left after the quake. The quake caused Awaji island to be lifted in the north by 1.5metres. A crane and several construction vehicles lay toppled on a fractured road in Kobe, Japan, after a 7.2-magnitude temblor shook the quake-prone country. Everything We Know About What Caused Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter to Crash News On 6 From dreams to tragedy. The January 17, 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu earthquake of magnitude 7.2 in JMA scale (Mw = 6.9), which struck Kobe, Japan and its surrounding area was the most severe earthquake to affect that region this century. One of the most devastating earthquakes takes place in Japan! Teach your students about plate tectonics using these classroom resources. The earthquake had a shallow focus, only 16 km below the surface, which had caused it to become so destructive. This is the deadliest tsunami since the 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami caused nearly 230,000 deaths and $10 billion in damage. c) What were the effects caused by the earthquake? © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society. It is written by Toshi Matsui, a Japanese university student. The Kobe earthquake, also referred to as the Great Hanshin earthquake, was a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that rocked the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan on the dawn of January 17, 1995. On the other hand, the Kobe region was thought to be fairly safe in terms of seismic activity. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. The earthquake hit at 5:46 am on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 1995, in the southern part of Hyōgo Earth’s tectonic plates fit together in a jigsaw puzzle of plate boundaries. Magnitude of the Kobe Earthquake. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Building knocked off its foundation by the January 1995 earthquake in Kōbe, Japan. The Great Hanshin Earthquake measured 7.2 on the Richter scale and lasted over 20 seconds. The Great Hanshin earthquake, or the Kobe earthquake as it is more commonly known overseas, was an earthquake in Japan that measured 7.2 on the Japanese Scale. These environmental hazards shape human activity regionally. However, this was the eighth earthquake in Japan in this century that caused more than 1,000 102,000. buildings destroyed in Kobe. Why was the death toll of the Kobe quake so high? The majority of Earth’s volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the Ring of Fire. Corrections? All rights reserved. Why: To help you achieve your target level for your first Geography assessment! Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Sustainability Policy | KOBE EARTHQUAKE OF 1995. large settlement with a high population density. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. The Kobe Earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale, that struck at 5:46 in the morning of January 17, 1995, caused considerable and various types of damage in the Hanshin area around the cities of Kobe and Osaka in Japan. Like all earthquakes, this one was caused by movements in the earth’s crust. The environmental hazards you face depend on where you live. Learn more about earthquakes with this curated collection of classroom resources. The transportation network was completely paralyzed, and the inadequacy of national disaster preparedness was also exposed. According to official statistics, 5,472 people were killed, and over 400,000 were injured. It occurred on January 17, 1995 at 5:46 am 52 seconds in the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture and lasted for approximately 20 seconds. Measured at a magnitude of 7.6 (slightly less than that of the 1906 San Francisco quake), the earthquake caused major destruction in northern Pakistan, northern India, and Afghanistan, an area that lies on an active fault caused by the northward tectonic drift of the Indian subcontinent. …1995, following the January 17 Kōbe earthquake that devastated the Kōbe area in west-central Japan. The tremors were the result of a violent uplift of the sea floor 80 miles off the coast of Sendai, where the Pacific tectonic plate slides beneath the plate Japan sits on. Authorities who had proclaimed the superior earthquake-resistance capabilities of Japanese construction were quickly proved wrong by the collapse of numerous supposedly earthquake-resistant buildings, rail lines, elevated highways, and port facilities in the Kōbe area. The active San Andreas fault runs through California and causes regular earthquakes, while the warm waters transported by the Gulf Stream can intensify a storm heading for South Carolina. b) What was the cause of the earthquake? Most of the largest earthquakes in Japan are caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate or Pacific Plate, with mechanisms that involve either energy released within the subducting plate or the accumulation and sudden release of stress in the overlying plate. Also called lithospheric plate. The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes and sites of seismic activity, or earthquakes, around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Success Criteria: By the end of today’s lesson you should be able to: Identify 1 cause, 1 effect and 1 response of the earthquake Describe why the quake happened and … The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle yet sublime events, like the building of mountains. The Great Kanto earthquake claimed 140,000 lives. The movements of these plates can build mountains or cause volcanoes to erupt. Otherwise, the deeper part and the shallower part of the Rokko fault sytems might generate different series of characteristic earthquakes. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Kōbe earthquake of 1995, also called Great Hanshin earthquake, Japanese in full Hanshin-Awaji Daishinsai (“Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Disaster”), (Jan. 17, 1995) large-scale earthquake in the Ōsaka-Kōbe (Hanshin) metropolitan area of western Japan that was among the strongest, deadliest, and costliest to ever strike that country. Earthquakes are more common in some parts of the world than others, because some places, like California, sit on top of the meeting point, or fault, of two plates. The earthquake's destructiveness was due to its relatively shallow depth rather than magnitude, seismologists said yesterday. The 1995 Kobe earthquake was the worst to hit Japan since the 1923 Kanto earthquake, which had an estimated Richter magnitude of 7.9 and resulted in nearly 143,000 deaths, primarily due to fire. Mechanism of the earthquake Most of the largest earthquakes in Japan are caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate or Pacific Plate, with mechanisms that involve either energy released within the subducting plate or the accumulation and sudden release of stress in the overlying plate. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. having to do with the physical formations of the Earth. fracture in Earth's crust where tectonic movement is left (sinistral) or right (dextral), but rarely vertical. Japan has not experienced such a damaging earthquake since 1923, when an estimated magnitude-8.3 earthquake killed about 143,000 people in the Tokyo area. Although most of the buildings that had been constructed according to new building codes withstood the earthquake, many others, particularly older wood-frame houses, did not. The Kōbe quake’s devastation included 40,000 injured, more than 300,000 homeless residents, and in excess of 240,000 damaged homes, with millions of homes in the region losing electric or water service. Its epicentre was the northern part of Awaji Island in the Inland Sea, 12.5 miles (20 km) off the coast of the port city of Kōbe; the quake’s focus was about 10 miles (16 km) below the earth’s surface. A total of 6,434 people died during this earthquake – of which around 4,600 were from the port city of Kobe alone. Portions of the Hanshin Expressway linking Kōbe and Ōsaka also collapsed or were heavily damaged during the earthquake. For example, if you live in northern California you are more likely to be impacted by a wildfire, landslide, or earthquake than if you live in Charleston, South Carolina, but less likely to be hit by a hurricane. Earthquakes in Kobe Japan are a result of Japan’s geographic position near fault lines and moving tectonic plates in the Pacific ocean. The government was heavily criticized for its slow and ineffectual response, as well as its initial refusal to accept help from foreign countries. Oceanic plates subducted to cause the earthquake. Its estimated death toll of 6,400 made it the worst earthquake to hit Japan since the Tokyo-Yokohama (Great Kantō) earthquake of 1923, which had killed more than 140,000. Regions are the basic units of geography. The Hanshin region (the name is derived from the characters used to write Ōsaka and Kōbe) is Japan’s second largest urban area, with more than 11 million inhabitants; with the earthquake’s epicentre located as close as it was to such a densely populated area, the effects were overwhelming. Port and waterfront facilities in Kobe, Japan, suffered extensive damage due to liquefaction during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Earthquakes of these types are especially frequent in the coastal regions of northeastern Japan. 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