Massive Earthquake Research Articles

Disaster avoidance/recovery marketing

On 11 March 2011 at 2:46 pm, a massive earthquake of magnitude 9.0 occurred in the Pacific-side Tohoku and Kanto area in Japan. The victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake number 15,867, and 290...

A Prospective Cohort Study of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Risk and Opium Addiction in South Eastern Iran

Opium addiction and cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are endemic in different parts of Iran, particularly in Bam, where a massive earthquake occurred. This study was designed to compare the incidence rate and severity of CL cases among opium addicted and non-addicted individuals in south-eastern Iran. This study was carried out as a prospective cohort by active house-to-house visits of 1,481 habitants in Bam. CL cases were confirmed by smear and identification of Leishmania species was performed using nested-PCR. The data was analyzed by χ2 and t-tests, using SPSS software and also Kaplan-Meier survival curve and long-rank test in Stata 11.2 and P<0.05 was considered as significant. A total of 904 individuals consisting of 226 opium addicted and 678 non-addicted individuals were followed-up for a period of seven years. The two cohorts were similar in terms of age, sex and place of residency. A similar pattern of incidence was observed among the two cohort groups. In contrast, the severity of CL in terms of the number, duration and the size of the lesions in opium addicted individuals was significantly (P<0.001) higher than non-opium addicted individuals. In conclusion, the present findings indicate that there is no relationship between the incidence of CL and opium addiction.

Analysis of changes in traumatic symptoms and daily life activity of children affected by the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami over time.

BackgroundOn March 11, 2011, Japan was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami. The tsunami caused tremendous damage and traumatized a number of people, including children. This study aimed to compare traumatic symptoms and daily life activity among children 20 months after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami with those observed after 8 months.MethodsThe study comprised two groups. The first comprised 12,524 kindergarten, elementary school, and junior high school children in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, who were evaluated 8 months after the disaster. The second comprised 10,597 children from the same place who were evaluated 20 months after the disaster. The Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children 15 items (PTSSC-15), a self-completion questionnaire on traumatic symptoms, and a questionnaire on children's daily life were distributed to the children. An effective response was obtained from 11,639 (92.9%, 8 months after) and 10,597 (86.9%, 20 months after) children.ResultsThe PTSSC-15 score was significantly higher in junior high school girls than in boys. The PTSSC-15 score was significantly higher in 4th–6th grade girls than in boys after 8 months. Elementary and junior high school children evaluated after 20 months had a significantly lower PTSSC-15 score than those evaluated after 8 months. The number of children having breakfast was significantly higher after 8 months than that after 20 months. In both the groups, children of all grades who had breakfast had a significantly lower PTSSC-15 score than those who did not have breakfast.ConclusionsWe conclude that traumatic symptoms and daily life activity of children who survived the earthquake and tsunami improved over time.

La Reconnaissance, la justice, et la vie bonne

Cet article traite des notions de reconnaissance, de justice, et de vie bonne, d'abord, séparément, et ensuite comme un réseau où elles se renforcent et s’impliquent. Je commence en abordant les significations de “la reconnaissance,” et en prenant comme texte de référence Parcours de la reconnaissance de Paul Ricoeur. On peut distinguer la reconnaissance au sens épistémologique, la reconnaissance de soi, la reconnaissance d’autrui sur le plan social et politique. Dans un second temps, je concentre mon attention sur le sens de la justice, dans le sens de la justice judiciaire, c’est-à-dire toute la structure des cours (criminel et civil) et le système pénal et policier. Enfin, je décris les exigences sociales, légales et politiques pour accéder à "la vie bonne" dans un pays moderne. Des systèmes de transport, d'éducation, marchand, bancaire, etc. sont aussi requis pour atteindre "la vie bonne". L'importance de ces éléments est particulièrement saillante lorsque nous observons ce qui arrive dans des pays en pleine guerre civile comme la Syrie, ou des pays détruits par des forces naturelles, comme le tremblement de terre en Haiti. Ma conclusion est que la "vie bonne" exige la reconnaissance de l’un et de l’autre et d’un gouvernement légitime ainsi que des systèmes de justice.

Analysis of Trend Change Detection of Total Electron Content on Ionosphere when Massive Earthquakes Occurred

This paper describes an analysis of trend changes of the total electron content (TEC) on the ionosphere as a possible precursor to massive earthquakes from 2005 to 2012 around Japan. To evaluate the TEC, we defined an index called Ratio, which can measure the deviation of a trend line of TEC around the target period. Regarding the earthquakes whose magnitude was more than 5, the results confirmed that the value of Ratio tended to be affected especially when the depth of earthquake occurrence points was less than 100 km.

EPA-1330 - Gender differences in dsm-5 versus dsm-iv-tr ptsd prevalence and criteria comparison among 450 survivors to the l’aquila earthquake

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has demonstrated gender-specific prevalence and expressions across the different DSM definitions, since its first introduction in DSM-III. The DSM-5 recently introduced important revisions to PTSD symptomatological criteria. Aim of the present study is to explore whether gender moderates rates of DSM-5 PTSD expression in a non-clinical sample of survivors to a massive earthquake in Italy. A sample of 450 survivors of the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake, previously investigated for the presence DSM-IV-TR PTSD, was reassessed according to DSM-5 criteria in order to explore gender differences. All subjects completed the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR). Females showed significantly higher DSM-5 PTSD rates and rates of endorsement of almost all DSM-5 PTSD criteria. Significant gender differences emerged in almost half of PTSD symptomatological criteria with women reporting higher rates in almost half of them, while men in only one (a new symptom in DSM-5: reckless or self-destructive behavior ). Considering the impact of the three new DSM-5 symptoms on the diagnosis, significant gender differences emerged with these being crucial in almost half of the PTSD diagnoses in males but in about onefourth in females. This study provides a contribution to the ongoing need for reassessment on how gender moderates rates of expression of particular disorders such as PTSD.

東京の一極集中問題と首都機能の分散

Tokyo has accumulated more than half of Japan's key controlling functions in a information-oriented society. Consequently, the disadvantages of accumulation have outweighed its advantages. If a massive earthquake hit the capital city, the politico-economic nerve center of Japan would collapse and it could trigger off politico-economic instability in the world. Tokyo's capital functions should be decentralized in order to prevent such global adversity from happening. Decentralizing the capital functions would be effective in promoting overall political reforms, rectifying overconcentration of key functions in Tokyo and improving nation's emergency response capabilities to disasters. Once the decentralization were implemented, Tokyo could rediscover its unique potentialities based on newly developed concepts, which would lead to creating a brighter future for “Tokyo as a world city.” The location of the Central Gunma is ideal for the decentralization of Tokyo's capital functions. Conveniently located at about 100 km from Tokyo, the area could closely cooperate with Tokyo. Moreover, fewer natural disasters have had hit the area, which means that it could accommodate bases serving as backups for Tokyo's essential systems. In addition, the Central Gunma is located in a commanding position to oversee both the Pacific Rim Economic Region and the Japan Sea Rim Economic Region.

Development of radionuclide distribution database and map system on the Fukushima nuclear accident

The Radionuclide distribution database and map system, which provide basic information for evaluations and countermeasures of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, are explained. Due to massive earthquake and tsunami, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had been damaged and spread out radioactive materials around the Fukushima region. In order to meet the various requirements from government, local government, residents, and/or researchers, we developed two systems to provide those data to the public. One of the systems is a database system which is designed to provide quantitative data for detailed analysis. Another is a map system which provides intuitive images for the qualitative estimation. In the two systems, it is possible to provide the information requested by a wide range of people.

Radiation exposure and the risk of pediatric thyroid cancer.

It has been more than three years since the unprecedentedly massive earthquake and tsunami struck eastern Japan on March 11, 2011, and the large accident occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. To investigate the influence of radiation exposure, thyroid ultrasonography has been provided preliminarily for 360,000 children who lived in Fukushima Prefecture at the time of the accident. As of September 2013, 59 children had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer by fine-needle aspiration cytology, and 34 children had been treated surgically and ultimately diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. Here, I would like to describe the characteristics of pediatric thyroid cancer and typical thyroid images obtained by ultrasonography.

토카이, 토난카이 및 난카이 대규모 지진으로 인한 지진해일의 전파특성에 관한 수치적 연구

After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, it has been pointed out that Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai massive earthquakes with a magnitude of 9.0 could strike the Pacific coasts in western Japan. This study aims at investigating numerically propagation characteristics of tsunami generated by a 9.0 magnitude Tokai, Tonankai and Nankai massive earthquakes on the Pacific coasts and three major bays in Japan, Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay and Osaka Bay. It was revealed from the numerical results that the tsunami heights on the Pacific coasts for M9.0 earthquake were about twice as much as those for M8.7 earthquake and the first tsunami arrival time was faster at some areas distant from the tsunami source. Moreover, high water level in the bays was recognized to continue for a long time because of the enclosed bays.

PEMBERDAYAAN MASYARAKAT MELALUI PKPEK TERHADAP PENGRAJIN PEYEK DI DUSUN PELEMADU

Existence PKPEK (Society for Research and Development of Community Economy) as one NGO aims to empower communities to improve people's income Pelemadu after the massive earthquake that occurred in 2006. The earthquake caused many casualties both material and non materti. Upon entry there PKPEK a significant increase of the income of the people, especially artisans dent. PKPEK existence begins with a change in the views seen from the aspect of change in the business entity, to provide infrastructure needed by the community as an asset, manpower and motivation. While the obstacles faced during the process of mentoring, among others: a) capital mainly raw materials, b) the means of production, c) market and d) price.

Interpreting the strongest deep earthquake ever observed

Massive earthquakes that strike deep within the Earth may be more efficient at dissipating pent‐up energy than similar quakes near the surface, according to new research by Wei et al. The authors analyzed the rupture of the most powerful deep earthquake ever recorded.

Medical relief for the 2011 Japan earthquake: A nursing account

In 2011 the east coast of Japan experienced a massive earthquake which triggered a devastating tsunami destroying many towns and killing over 15 000 people. The work presented in this paper is a personal account that outlines the relief efforts of the Humanitarian Medical Assistance team and describes the efforts to provide medical assistance to evacuees. The towns most affected had a large proportion of older people who were more likely to have chronic conditions and required medication to sustain their health. Since personal property was destroyed in the tsunami many older people were left without medication and also did not remember which type of medication they were taking. Some evacuees had brought a list of their medication with them, this assisted relief teams in obtaining the required medication for these people. The more successful evacuation centers had small numbers of evacuees who were given tasks to administer the center that kept them occupied and active.

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block (review)

Reviewed by: Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block Karen Coats Block, Francesca Lia . Love in the Time of Global Warming. Holt, 2013. [240p]. ISBN 978-0-8050-9627-9 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad Gr. 7-10. After a massive earthquake and tsunami devastate Los Angeles and possibly the entire U.S., Penelope is alone in her seaside home when looters come, one of them a mysterious man named Merk, who insists that she take his van and go find her parents with a map he has provided. The map launches Pen on a journey that loosely follows the exploits of Odysseus, re-imagined, in Block's familiar dreamlike fashion, in the ruined locales of her beloved city. Pen encounters the brutal, genetically engineered giants who are responsible for the earthquake and whose creation is linked to her father, a former scientist who incurred the wrath of his partner, Kronen, when he protested his experiments. She also attracts a crew of survivors: Hex, a beautiful transman living among the lotus eaters; Ez, a boy enslaved by a Circe-like character named Beatrix; and Ash, a strikingly handsome boy with an alluring voice. Over the course of their journey, Pen and Hex and then Ez and Ash fall in love and face the terrors of their new world together, but Pen's goal of finding her family never wavers. Block's self-conscious efforts to fuse multiple mythologies and genres has the logical weakness common to dreams: the plot is disjointed and often unsatisfying, with convenient appearances of Merk whenever Pen comes to a dead end, and magic elements appearing randomly to explain the otherwise inexplicable, not to mention the completely unrealistic and wish-fulfilling conclusion. Like a dream, however, what holds the novel together is a consistent emotional tone, here one of exhausted determination in the face of loss and mourning, rendered aesthetically beautiful, though gory, by Block's prose. The result is more collage than story, offering only tenuous narrative or thematic coherence, but diverse readers will certainly latch on to different, undeniably sparkly bits. Copyright © 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

긴급시공이 가능한 FRP 내진보강재 개발 및 최적 보강량 산정을 위한 해석적 연구

Social interest in the seismic retrofit of the structure is growing massive earthquake that occurred recently. The brittle fracture of Non-seismically designed Columns lead to full collapse of the building. In the past, cross-sectional expansion method, a steel plate reinforcing method is applied mainly in recent years, fiber-reinforced method utilizing the advantages of the composite material are preferred. However, the reinforcement methods such as this, there is a drawback to induce physical damage to structures, and time consuming work space is large. IIn this study, FRP seismic reinforcement was developed using the Aluminum connector and the composite material (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer). Then, the optimum quantities of FRP seismic reinforcement was determined using a nonlinear finite element analysis program. Finally, the quantity decision process through the design and analysis of FRP reinforcement was suggested.

GIS BASED SYSTEM FOR POST-EARTHQUAKE CRISIS MANAGMENT USING CELLULAR NETWORK

Abstract. Earthquakes are among the most destructive natural disasters. Earthquakes happen mainly near the edges of tectonic plates, but they may happen just about anywhere. Earthquakes cannot be predicted. Quick response after disasters, like earthquake, decreases loss of life and costs. Massive earthquakes often cause structures to collapse, trapping victims under dense rubble for long periods of time. After the earthquake and destroyed some areas, several teams are sent to find the location of the destroyed areas. The search and rescue phase usually is maintained for many days. Time reduction for surviving people is very important. A Geographical Information System (GIS) can be used for decreasing response time and management in critical situations. Position estimation in short period of time time is important. This paper proposes a GIS based system for post–earthquake disaster management solution. This system relies on several mobile positioning methods such as cell-ID and TA method, signal strength method, angel of arrival method, time of arrival method and time difference of arrival method. For quick positioning, the system can be helped by any person who has a mobile device. After positioning and specifying the critical points, the points are sent to a central site for managing the procedure of quick response for helping. This solution establishes a quick way to manage the post–earthquake crisis.

A reply to Gomez and Hart's ‘goldrush’

When it comes to resilience building, we welcome constructive and cross-regional dialogues between scientists and practitioners. We were disappointed and indeed saddened by the tone of the response by Gomez and Hart (2013) to our invited and time-sensitive reflection (Crowley and Elliott 2012). As a scientist (Elliott) and practitioner (Crowley) pairing we wish to improve relations, understanding and practical applications across all sorts of boundaries. We hope that this response to our commentary will not undermine let alone deter the efforts of applied scientists engaging in interdisciplinary research with practitioners. We emphatically stand by our conclusion that, ‘Wealth, advanced earthquake science, strict building codes and community preparedness have saved thousands of lives in both Japan and New Zealand’ (p. 214). Straightforward comparisons of earthquakes of similar magnitude that have struck near cities are testament to this: the shallow magnitude 7 earthquake which occurred near Christchurch in September 2010 killed no one, however the same sized shallow event which occurred near Port-au-Prince, Haiti in January 2010 killed an estimated 50 000–300 000. Similar comparisons can be made between the massive earthquakes and tsunamis associated with the 2011 Tohoku-Oki event and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, in which more than 10 times as many people were killed. The Fukushima accident resulted in no fatalities from the explosions and initial radiation release. A recently published World Health Organization (WHO 2013) report concludes that for the general population inside and outside of Japan, the predicted risks are low and no observable increase in cancer rates above the baseline rates are anticipated, except for those most nearest the plant in a region much smaller than the Fukushima prefecture. They note that the outcome could have been far worse, with the impact being much smaller than the primary consequences resulting from the earthquake and resulting tsunami. Gomez and Hart appear to interpret the data shown in their Figure 1 as a ‘goldrush’. An alternative interpretation is that science is built upon careful data collection, not rhetoric, so that it is not surprising to see an upsurge in publications when major new data sources arise. The scientific understanding that underpins applied Disaster Risk Reduction is founded on the forensic exploration of disaster events; without learning from past disasters there would be no progress in reducing vulnerability and building resilience. While welcoming the authors’ personal reflections on the current state of response in New Zealand and Japan, we would encourage them to think further about how those insights might contribute to applied research, in collaboration with relevant local authorities and communities. For us, in conclusion, our commentary made the case for the following:

The Damage and Recovery Measures of Sewage Treatment Systems Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake

A large number of sewage facilities were severely damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, mainly by the tsunami caused by the massive earthquake. At the many sewage treatments, the systems were shut down by the tsunami, numerous building structures were toppled by the wave force of the tsunami and electrical and mechanical machines were damaged by submersion. The many pipelines damaged by liquefaction throughout the region lost their ability to carry sewage as a result of plugging by sand after the occurrence of the earthquake. In order to solve technical problems and quickly restore sewage systems, a technical review committee of experts and specialists was set up to consider ways to prevent damage to sewage systems by earthquakes and tsunami. This Committee analyzed the characteristics of the damage and made four proposals on emergency response, emergency restoration, full-scale restoration, and new policies for tsunami countermeasures.

효율적인 정보자산 보호를 위한 BCP 활용 재해복구시스템 설계

2011년 일본 동북부지방의 대규모 지진과 쓰나미로 인한 재난은 세계3대 경제대국인 일본에게도 무방비 상태인 것은 분명한 사실인 것 같다. 우리나라의 경우도 재난복구에 대한 관심이 고조되면서 24시간 365일 무장애 시스템 운영을 위한 기술적 지원에 노력을 기울이고있다. 본 연구에서는 효율적인 정보자산 보호를 위해 재난이 발생되면 체계적인 대처 능력을 비즈니스 플랜으로 조직화하는 재난 대비 업무수행 계획을 작성한다. 또, 작성 된 업무수행 계획은 구성원이 용이하게 숙지 가능토록 체계화하여 비상사태 발생 시 혼동 없이 움직이게 하여 단시간에 일목요연하게 조직의 정보자산을 안전하게 보호하려 한다. The ensuing disaster brought by the massive earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern region of Japan in 2011 placed Japan, one of the three most advanced economic powers in the world, in a defenseless state. With the rising interest in disaster recovery, Korea is also making efforts to provide technological support for barrier-free system operation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To protect intelligence assets efficiently, this study draws a job performance plan to prepare for disasters, which systemizes methodical coping capabilities into business plans when disasters occur. Moreover, this study systemizes the job performance plan to allow members easy access to information that will help them proceed without confusion in emergencies. This plant is intended to protect intelligence assets of an organization clearly and promptly.

Shaking Up The Fracking Debate

Earthquakes near hydraulic fracturing and waste-fluid injection wells in the central U.S. may be being triggered by massive earthquakes thousands of miles away, according to a new study (Science 2013, DOI: 10.1126/science.1238948). The study notes the recent rise in the U.S. of small to midsized earthquakes. It points to a relationship between that rise and the increased deep underground injection of large amounts of water and wastewater for hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for natural gas and oil. The researchers looked at past earthquake recordings near three U.S. hydraulic fracturing injection sites. They found that pressure in faults at these sites was already approaching critical levels when major earthquakes occurred far away. The distant earthquakes triggered a rise in frequency and intensity of local tremors, the scientists report. “The injected fluids are driving the faults to their tipping point,” explains lead author Nicholas J. van der Elst, a researcher at Columbia ...