17 March 2011

Liquefaction from the Sendai earthquake – a remarkable video

Posted by Dave Petley

Update again: I have now corrected the link below so that it shows the correct Youtube location.

Update: for those who are confused by the process of liquefaction – and the comments below suggest that are many for whom this is the case – there is a video that allows one to get an idea of the process that was occurring below the surface at the park in Japan in this post.

An astonishing video has emerged on Youtube that was taken during Sendai earthquake.  It shows liquefaction occurring in real time in Tokyo Central Park.  It is quite, quite remarkable.  Do watch beyond the first minute, when it appears that not much is happening – the real action starts about halfway through the recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn3oAvmZY8k

This is quite extraordinary!  Note how the cracks open and close; how the water starts to appear across the park simultaneously, and how the magnitude of the liquefaction starts to generate fountaining.  Now imagine what this effect must have been like in Christchurch, where liquefaction was widespread (source):