Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, and other severe weather cause major damage to human life and society, Japan is considered one of the world's leading disaster areas. A tsunami is a series of very long-wavelength waves in large water bodies like seas or large lakes caused by a major disturbance above or below the water surface or due to the displacement of a large volume of water. Topics Covered: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc. At 4:11 a.m. on May 23, 1960, for example, an earthquake off Chile spawned tsunami that hit the Pacific coast of Japan at around 2:20 a.m. the following day. Japan is particularly susceptible to earthquakes because it is located within the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. For UPSC 2021 Preparation, follow BYJU'S. Learn more about the causes of earthquakes, p-waves, s-waves, shadow zones. Japan is the country which has recorded the most significant number of tsunamis. Mount Bandai, one of Japan's most noted volcanoes, rises above the north shore of Lake Inawashiro. 2011 — A magnitude 9.0 earthquake hits off the northeast coast of Japan’s Honshu island, generating a massive tsunami. Know more about the scales used to measure the magnitude and intensity of earthquakes. They are sometimes referred to as tidal waves because of long wavelengths, although the attractions of the Moon and Sun … Mount Fuji at sunrise from Lake Kawaguchi. A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck southern Japan late last week, less than two days after a 6.2-magnitude temblor rocked the same region, triggering tsunami advisories in the area. The tsunami generated in the Indian Ocean in the year 2004 is still considered as the most upsetting tsunami taking more than two hundred thousand lives. And while the government tries various approaches to limit the potential damage, like building sea walls, the fight against tsunamis continues. Tsunami is a Japanese word for “Harbour wave”. Mount Bandai is formed of several overlapping stratovolcanoes, the largest of which is O-Bandai forming a complex volcano. 2012 — The city of Sendai, Japan, is recognized as a model for urban resilience for its recovery from the earthquake of 2011. Undersea earthquakes also expose the Japanese coastline to danger from tsunamis. Context:. 3 The growth of coastal populations, for instance, raises important concerns about increased human exposure to coastal flooding, hurricanes, and tsunamis. One city that is particularly at danger is the city of Kawasaki. For example, researchers argue that in countries such as China, urban earthquakes are more dangerous because of the density of the infrastructure. Why do earthquakes happen in Mizoram? 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