the japanese earthquake & tsunami disaster of …...the area hit by the tsunami. learn how noaa...

The JapaneseEarthquake & Tsunami Disaster of 2011

http://www.elca.org/~/media/Images/Disaster%20Response/Japan%20Earthquake%20and%20Pacific%20Tsunami%20March%202011/Japan%20Earthquake%20Map%202011.jpg

What is an earthquake?

What is a tsunami?

Where is Japan?

What is happening now?

On March 11, one of the largest earthquakes inhuman history struck Japan near the town of Sendai.The earthquake triggered 30-foot tsunami waves,devastating Japan’s coastal areas, and sent tsunamiwarnings across the Pacific Ocean. The initialearthquake has been followed by more than 100aftershocks.

Where is Japan?Japan is a country in the Pacific Ocean. It is madeup of over 6,000 islands off the east coast of China,and North & South Korea.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and the largestmetropolitan area in the world with over 30 millionresidents.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan

What is an earthquake?

Click the picture to see more informationabout earthquakes at "How Stuff Works"

Do you know how scientists measure an earthquake? A Seismologiststudies the way the plates of the earth shift, and they measure theseshifts using the "Richter" scale.Learn more at Scholastic Stacks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake

What is a tsunami?

Click the picture to see moreinformation about tsunamis at "HowStuff Works"

"Tsunami" is a Japanese wordthat means "harbor wave". Atsunami is formed by the waterdisplaced by an underwaterearthquake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami

What is happening now?

See before and after satellite images ofthe area hit by the Tsunami.

Learn how NOAA alerts people aboutpossible Tsunami waves.

To see the effects of the tsunami on the coastal townsof Japan, go to the next two pages (Warning - thecontent is frightening)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/mar/14/japan-tsunami-nuclear-alert-live

While looking for survivors and cleaning upafter the tsunami, the people of Japan mustalso deal with a possible nuclear disaster atthe Fukushima nuclear power plant. Severalof the plants reactors have come very close tomeltdown and another reactor exploded.

For video of the disaster in Japan, visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-zfCBCq-8I