1. Causes, impacts and responses to volcanic events
Kobe, Japan
Also called The Great Hanshin Earthquake

2. Causes Philipine plate subducted under the Eurasian plate
A destructive plate margin
A fault line runs beneath Kobe
Plates become stuck, pressure accumulates. An earthquake occurs when this pressure is released, causing vibrations to move through the ground.
The Great Hanshin earthquake belonged to a third type, called an "inland shallow earthquake". Earthquakes of this type occur along active faults. Even at lower magnitudes, they can be very destructive because they often occur near populated areas and because their hypocenters are located less than 20 km below the surface.

4. Impacts Environmental Tremors lasted 20 seconds
Buildings and bridges collapsed
Fires all over city
Gas pipes and water mains damaged
Aftershocks
Political
Japan refused a lot of international aid
Social
6000+ deaths
35000 injured
300,000 made homeless
Economic
$220 billion damage
£100 billion needed to rebuild basics
22% of offices in the central business district made unusable

5. Responses Long-term response Short-term response
Jobs created in the construction industry as part  of a rebuilding programme
Railways were 80% operational after 1 month
Ports were operational after 1 year
By January 1999, 134,000 housing units had been constructed but some people were still having to live in temporary accommodation.
Short-term response
People evacuated
Rescue teams and locals search for survivors
Hospitals treat survivors but struggle to cope with the amount of people

6. Hazard Management
Japan has the most comprehensive prediction programme thousands of seismometers and monitoring stations
New laws passed to make buildings and infrastructure earthquake proof
- counterweights on roofs
- cross steel frames
- rubber bricks under bridges to absorb shocks
These laws were put in place in 1981 but older buildings were not yet modified- that is why they collapsed easily.