Relationship between Tsunami Hazard Related to the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake and Geographical Condition such as Topography and Land Use on the Sendai Plain and Ishinomaki Plain

The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) supports victims and regions affected by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake, by promptly surveying and providing geospatial information such as maps and aerial photos. In particular, the "Tsunami Flood Area Overview Map" is useful for various geographical analyses of tsunami damage. This paper summarizes the results of analyses of the relationships between tsunami damage interpreted by aerial photos and geographic conditions such as land condition, elevation and land use. Based on our GIS-based overlay analyses of relationships between tsunami damage levels and other geographic data such as inundation depth, landform classification, elevation and land use, the following are clarified: 1) damage levels are closely related to inundation depths; 2) completely destroyed areas are located within 1 km from the coastline; 3) differences in landform and land use of coastal areas influence the damage level of the hinterland area.