GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -It lasted about 20 seconds and registered as a magnitude 6.9 (7.3 on the Richter scale). Its epicentre was the northern part of Awaji Island in the Inland Sea, 12.5 miles (20 km) off the coast of the port city of Kōbe; the quake’s focus was about 10 miles (16 km) below the earth’s surface.

Detailed explanation-2: -The quake struck in the pre-dawn darkness of Jan. 17, 1995. In 20 seconds of violence that registered 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale (7.2 on the Richter Scale), virtually every part of the Japanese port city of Kobe suffered major damage.

Detailed explanation-3: -Japan is one of the most geologically active regions on Earth, a place where four major tectonic plates-the Eurasian, Philippine, Pacific, and North American-meet and interact. The Kobe quake was a result of an east-west strike-slip fault where the Eurasian and Philippine plates interact.

Detailed explanation-4: -It is shaped like a traditional Japanese drum and was designed to withstand earthquakes, which it did during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake. The rest of the port area was badly affected. Dampers can be added that will allow the building to stay still while they move from side to side.

Detailed explanation-5: -The population of Kobe dropped by about 10 percent in 1995 as many left the area-some to stay with friends and relatives, while others were relocated. That 1995 population only fully recovered 10 years later.