Earthquakes and tsunamis: Honshu, Japan, 2011 | Geography

Starter quiz

What do the coloured dots in this map represent?
- 'Earthquakes' ✓
What is happening in this diagram?
- a country is being split in half
- the tectonic plates are moving in opposite directions ✓
- the tectonic plates are moving towards one another
What is the strength of an earthquake called?
- 'magnitude' ✓
Use the picture below to identify where earthquakes occur.
- Randomly all over the world
- Mostly at tectonic plate boundaries ✓
- In the sea
Scientists now use the ______ scale to measure Earthquakes.
- 'Moment magnitude' ✓
The ______ is the point on Earth's surface directly above the focus.
- 'epicentre' ✓

Huge waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea are called...
- 'Tsunamis' ✓
What was the magnitude of the 2011, Honshu Japan earthquake on the Moment Magnitude Scale?
- '9' ✓
How high was the tsunami that occurred from the 2011 Honshu, Japan earthquake?
- 20 metres
- 40 metres ✓
- 60 metres
How many buildings were collapsed or destroyed in the 2011 Honshu, Japan earthquake
- 100,000
- 200,000
- 350,000 ✓
The largest tectonic plate is the...
- 'Pacific plate' ✓
Which two tectonic plates caused the 2011 Honshu, Japan earthquake
- The North American and Eurasian plate
- The Pacific and North American plate ✓
- The African and Australian plate
- The South American and African plate

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The earthquake was the fifth most powerful earthquake of all time.
The epicentre was on the sea bed, 70km east of the Honshu coast.
The resulting tsunami wave was 40 metres high and came inland for 10km.
More than 350,000 buildings collapsed or were damaged and over 15,000 people died.

Tsunamis are random events caused by severe weather.

Tsunamis are not random events but are caused by tectonic plate movement underneath the ocean.

Tsunami - Tsunamis are huge waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea.
Pacific plate - The Pacific plate is the largest tectonic plate. It is situated between North and South America to the east, and Australia and New Zealand to the west.
North american plate - The North American plate is the tectonic plate that includes most of North America.
Impact - To have an impact is to have an effect on someone or something.