The Tokai earthquake

Although, in the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, we could not predict when the earthquake would occur at all, now it is becoming feasible to do so thanks to the long-term elaborate research of the Tokai earthquake. In earthquake prediction, where?, how big?, and when? are the biggest concerns. The location and magnitude of the Tokai earthquake are approximately estimated, on the other hand, it is still quite difficult to tell when it will occur in spite of observation at 380 stations. In the past Tokai earthquake, volcanic eruptions at Mt. Fuji were sometimes in accompaniment. When we think of disaster prevention measures, we have to take the impact of the volcanic eruption into consideration. Due to the vast amount of fine ash, it is expected that it will paralyze the Japanese economic system by exerting a bad influence on computers and traffic.

In an earthquake, the size of the damage has something to do with the length and depth of the fault. In the Tokai earthquake, it is expected that a tsunami more than 6m high will hit the coastal regions. After the Hanshin- Awaji earthquake, the Japanese government announced that it was impossible to predict the earthquake and cut the budget for earthquake measures down drastically. On the other hand, Shizuoka prefecture, which is estimated to be the main victim, revised its earthquake measures.

-Student's impressions-

Through this seminar, I was able to learn more about the Tokai earthquake. I was surprised to know that more severe damage was expected in the Tokai earthquake than in the Hanshin- Awaji earthquake. Comparing these 2 earthquakes, I was able to notice the various differences. I hope that the lessons learned from the Hanshin-Awaji earthquake will be a help for people in the Tokai area.