“Japan’s Killer Quake”
SWHS Geology
1. What’s the geological cause of the disaster? What explanations does the video provide?
2. How long does the shaking in a “usual” earthquake last? How long did the March 11
earthquake last? Why is this difference important?
3. What is liquefaction? Describe it.
4. What are tsunami waves? How are they generated? What happens as these waves approach
a shoreline?
5. Why does the height and intensity of the tsunami wave vary from town to town along the
Japanese coast?
6. The city of Miyako had what everyone considered to be very good tsunami defenses.
a. Describe these defenses.
b. What happened to these defenses in this earthquake? Why did 30 foot tall walls not stop
30 foot tall waves?
7. Describe the impacts of the tsunami wave on the Pacific basin. Specific impacts are
mentioned for Hawaii and the U.S. west coast.
8. Discuss the insights provided by this disaster into the situation of Tokyo, the largest city in
the world. What does the video tell us about Tokyo’s vulnerability to a large earthquake off
its coast?
9. The video addressed the earthquake and tsunami risk in the U.S. at the very end.
a. Where in the U.S. is there a risk of a large earthquake and tsunami?
b. What could happen in the U.S.?