Wooden supports collapsed inside supposedly solid concrete pilings under the tracks of the Shinkansen high-speed rail line, causing the entire line to shut down. Learn more about environmental hazards with this curated resource collection.The surface of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates that lie beneath both the land and oceans of our planet. The clash of these plates can also cause violent earthquakes, where Earth’s surface shakes. On Jan. 17, 1995, the Hanshin/Awaji Earthquake struck the densely populated Kobe, Japan, area with a Richter magnitude 7.2. © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society. This is because the physical conditions in each place are different.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, only 30% of the Osaka-Kobe railway tracks were operational. The Great Hanshin Earthquake Disaster of 1995 was one of the worst in Japan’s history, killing 6,433 people and causing more than $100 billion in damages.the sudden shaking of Earth's crust caused by the release of energy along fault lines or from volcanic activity.having to do with the physical formations of the Earth.system or order of a nation, state, or other political unit.any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics.
The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle yet sublime events, like the building of mountains. Learn more about environmental hazards with this curated resource collection.The surface of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates that lie beneath both the land and oceans of our planet.
In terms of magnitude, this earthquake was not as large as some previous earthquakes in Japan. The devastation caused by the Kobe Earthquake--5,500 fatalities and extensive property damage--has resulted in innovative approaches by Japanese engineers to rebuild with seismicity in mind. The majority of Earth’s volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the Ring of Fire. National Geographic HeadquartersNational Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. Such was its intensity that even the sensors on the other side of the world picked it. The significance of the Kobe Earthquake to the United States lies in the fact that Kobe was considered to be a region of low or even negligible risk of moderate earthquakes--an alarming fact for low seismic activity regions of the United States that are ill prepared to withstand the effects of a Kobe-force earthquake.The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineCopyright © 2020 National Academy of Sciences. Educational Resources in Your Inbox The active San Andreas fault runs through California and causes regular earthquakes, while the warm waters transported by the Gulf Stream can intensify a storm heading for South Carolina. The Earth’s crust is broken up into a series of massive sections called plates. In the aftermath of the Hanshin/Awaji Earthquake (Kobe Earthquake, January 17, 1995), seismic design specifications are being reviewed and revised in Japan, under watchful eyes of the United States. The Earth’s crust is broken up into a series of massive sections called plates. Teach your students about plate tectonics using these classroom resources.The environmental hazards you face depend on where you live. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. Learn more about earthquakes with this curated collection of classroom resources.Earth’s tectonic plates fit together in a jigsaw puzzle of plate boundaries.The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society.