GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -More than 15, 500 people died. The tsunami also severely crippled the infrastructure of the country. In addition to the thousands of destroyed homes, businesses, roads, and railways, the tsunami caused the meltdown of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Detailed explanation-2: -It was centered on the seafloor 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Tohoku, at a depth of 15 miles (24 km) below the surface. The shaking lasted about six minutes.

Detailed explanation-3: -The costs resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan alone were estimated at $220 billion USD. The damage makes the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami the most expensive natural disaster in history. Although the majority of the tsunami’s impact was in Japan, the event was truly global.

Detailed explanation-4: -In all, 74 children drowned, along with 10 teachers and staff who had been entrusted with ensuring their safety in an earthquake-prone region that lives with the ever-present threat of tsunamis.