Abstract
The 23 October 2004 Niigata Ken Chuetsu, Japan, earthquake ( Mw =6.6) was the most significant earthquake to affect Japan since the 1995 Kobe earthquake, killing 48 people and injuring 4,160. Hundreds of major landslides destroyed entire upland villages and, together with permanent ground deformations, caused extensive damage to roads, rail lines and other lifelines, resulting in major economic disruption and an estimated cost of U.S. $40 billion. Two reconnaissance teams supported by EERI surveyed the earthquake damage soon after the event, employing new technologies such as handheld global positioning systems, satellite imagery, and light detection and ranging, which facilitated more rapid and detailed data collection than was possible in previous earthquake damage surveys.
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