Surviving the Tsunami – My Atomic Aunt is a 2013 documentary film written, directed, and co-produced by Kyoko Miyake remembers the Fukushima nuclear disaster that occurred on March 11, 2011 by focusing on how the disaster has affected her home town of Namie, Fukushima, Japan. The film develops into a personal reflection on how the Fukushima disaster has affected not only the world, but Miyake herself and the family she once knew. (Full article...)
Scheme of a submarine eruption. 1 Water vapor cloud 2 Water 3 Stratum 4 Lava flow 5 Magma conduit 6 Magma chamber 7 Dike 8 Pillow lavaSubmarine eruptions are volcano eruptions which take place beneath the surface of water. These occur at constructive margins, subduction zones and within tectonic plates due to hotspots. This eruption style is far more prevalent than subaerial activity. For example, it is believed that 70 to 80% of the Earth's magma output takes place at mid-ocean ridges. (Full article...)
Image 7Diagram showing several measures to describe a tsunami size, including height, inundation and run-up (from Tsunami)
Image 8Figure 1: Diagram showing how earthquakes can generate a tsunami. (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 9An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave. (from Tsunami)
A convoy of fire engines in the tsunami zone
The aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami included both a humanitarian crisis and massive economic impacts. The tsunami created over 300,000 refugees in the Tōhoku region of Japan, and resulted in shortages of food, water, shelter, medicine and fuel for survivors. 15,900 deaths have been confirmed. In response to the crisis, the Japanese government mobilized the Self-Defence Forces, while many countries sent search and rescue teams to help search for survivors. Aid organizations both in Japan and worldwide also responded, with the Japanese Red Cross reporting $1 billion in donations. The economic impact included both immediate problems, with industrial production suspended in many factories, and the longer term issue of the cost of rebuilding which has been estimated at ¥10 trillion (US$122 billion). (Full article...)