Natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, etc. that are common in countries around the world are called disasters because they often infringe on human life safety and society. Due to many conditions such as location, terrain, geology, climate, etc., Japan is often affected by earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, heavy rain, and other disasters. It is a rare disaster country in the world and will naturally be affected by global climate abnormalities. This time I will give you some insight into the common natural disasters in Japan and the causes and impacts behind them.
The reason why Japan is called a disaster power
The causes of many natural disasters in Japan are roughly divided into the following four points:
・Position
The earth consists of more than a dozen plates, and Japan is located on four of them, making it easy for Japan to experience earthquakes or volcanic activities due to plate movement. In fact, between 1996 and 2005, 20.8% of the Rui Family earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above occurred in Japan. Considering that Japan only accounts for 0.25% of the world's total area, this number can be said to be very high.
・Climate
Japan belongs to the monsoon climate zone, so although the abundant rainfall brought by the prevalence of monsoon can flourish agriculture, it often faces heavy rain caused by excessive precipitation. Especially in recent years, the impact of earth warming on monsoon climate zones has been even more serious. According to data from about 1,000 observation stations across Japan, compared with the number of heavy rains in the past 30 years, various climate experts have even said that the phenomenon of strong heavy rains invading Japan will not decrease in the future.
・Terrain
70% of Japan's land is mountainous and hilly. Although you can enjoy various beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers, the narrow territory also makes the mountains more steep and prone to mountain collapses. In addition, the water level of rivers originating in the mountains will be more rapid, making rivers more prone to flooding and disasters.
・Urban structure
With the increase of population and urbanization, urban development will also advance. In order to make full use of the small land area, Japan artificially fills mountains, tombs and land to expand the urban scope. Therefore, many cities are quite close to rivers, coasts and volcanoes. These lands through artificial hands are prone to soil and rock disasters or soil liquefaction.
Japan's natural disaster "earthquake"
Earth consists of fifteen plates, four of which are distributed under Japan's territory, among which three are distributed in the Kanto region. Looking at the world, there are few countries in the world that are so concentrated, making Japan's earthquakes frequent. Even if the earthquake disaster is not considered a roar in Shanghai, it will still cause damage and dumping of buildings, fires, earth and rock collapses, and cracks. In urban areas, items may fall from high-rise buildings and hurt people, power outages, water outages, gas outages, traffic cuts off, and even phone calls may not be able to reach.
Japan's natural disaster "volcanoes"
When squeezed between plates, pressure will be released from trench and squirt magma . A volcano is a mountain formed by solidification by magma erupted from crustal plates, so most volcanoes will form along the trench. Active volcano refers to a volcano that still has magma flowing in the mountain. There are currently 111 active volcanoes on Japan's territory, accounting for 7% of the world. Once a volcano erupts, it will erupt a large amount of rocks, high-temperature volcanic ash and magma. These magma, combined with ground materials such as melting snow, sand, gravel and soil, will form a snow-melting volcanic mudflow.
Among them, volcanic ash can be blown by the wind to dozens or even hundreds of kilometers, causing the impact of crops and air transport aircraft, causing air traffic to stop. In addition, if you inhaled volcanic ash, it may cause difficulty in breathing. If you touch the volcanic ash, it may cause inflammation and itching of the skin, which will cause health hazards.
Japan's natural disaster "typhoon"
Typhoon refers to tropical low pressure with a maximum wind speed exceeding 17.2 kilometers.Japan often encounters typhoons approaching or landing from around July to October every year, causing heavy rain, floods, storms, high tides, and other phenomena, which may cause flooding, embankment collapse, buildings collapse, ships stranded, or injured by objects blown or falling by wind.
In addition, most of the mountains in Japan have steep slopes, so typhoons and heavy rains often cause landslides, soil and rock flow, river flooding, etc. What is the difference between "Meteorological Alert" and "Meteorological Attention Report"?
When the Japan Meteorological Agency encounters major disasters that may occur due to typhoons, heavy rain, strong winds, etc., the warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency are called "meteorological alarms", such as heavy rain alarms, storm alarms, heavy snow alarms, etc. However, in recent years, there have been major disasters that are unpredictable due to abnormal climate phenomena. If the degree of damage is estimated to be far beyond the meteorological alarm, a "special alarm" will be issued instead.
On the contrary, if the expected impact is not as serious as the meteorological alarm, the cultivation will be "Meteorological Attention Repeat". For example: When the typhoon gets closer and closer, the cultivation alert will be reported from the alert. If the typhoon gradually moves away or the impact will be reduced, the cultivation alert will be reported from the alert. Simply put, it is to judge whether the current report, weather alarm, or special alarm needs to be issued based on the expected disaster situation.
In addition, in summer, we often see notifications showing "high temperature attention information" and "tornado attention information" are issued every day. This is a reminder of different degrees from general attention reports. For example, high temperature attention information released on hot summer heat days is not as serious as attention reports, but it is also a reminder information that people can pay attention to in their lives.
Japan's natural disaster "tsunami"
Japan is an island country with a long and narrow east and west and surrounded by the ocean. The complex coastline makes the inland very susceptible to tsunamis. The causes of tsunamis are mostly caused by earthquakes, so even if the UK is also an island country, there will be no tsunami problem. Since current technology cannot accurately predict the occurrence of tsunamis, if an earthquake occurs, you must stay away from the coast as much as possible and take shelter to a higher place. Moreover, the tsunami will appear in the second and third waves in different orders, so be careful not to approach the coast even if the tide recedes. You must continue to stay in a safe place to take refuge.
※"Tsuba" is the Japanese character of the tsunami.
Secondary disaster
If the disaster occurs after the disaster is caused by other indirect reasons, it is called a secondary disaster. For example, it is buried due to fire or building dumping after an earthquake, disaster caused by rescue teams, and infection caused by soaking in water. After the disaster occurs, the secondary disaster may cause delays and difficulties in the post-disaster recovery project procedures, so it is very important to prevent the occurrence of secondary disasters. For example, when an earthquake occurs, the electric valve is closed before going to shelter, and the dangers of dangerous buildings are advocated, etc.
Conclusion
Japan will experience heavy rains, typhoons and even earthquakes almost every year. Sometimes, even if the Japanese see the alarm and pay attention to the report, they will ignore the danger, causing an irreversible tragedy. Therefore, we are not afraid of ten thousand, just afraid of one. We advise everyone to have complete knowledge of disaster prevention in their own country and Japan!
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