Tsunami and Safety Rules

Tsunami refers to harbor waves in Japanese The term tsunami 'was first coined by the Japanese fisherman to describe the huge waves that would wipe out entire areas surrounding a harbor

Hundreds of thousands of people in various countries died in 2004 due to the tsunami in the Indian ocean

Was your country affected?

Most countries were not ready for this natural calamity and no warning systems were in place.

Recently, a number of organizations have set up tsunami safety warning centres

So that people can be alerted in time for them to leave costal areas before the huge waves reach them

 What is a tsunami ??
ANSWER

A tsunami is a huge wave or multiple sets of huge waves at the same time

ANSWER
Earthquakes Volcanoes Landslides

What are the causes of a tsunami?

How Earthquakes Cause Tsunamis

The illustration below shows a subduction earthquake (one where a denser plates shifts below its neighboring plate, at left). Energy is transferred and the displaced water forms a wave. As the wave travels and enters shallower water in the coastal area, it begins to increase in amplitude (National Geographic).

Tsunamis are not always colossal waves when they come into the shore. In fact, "... most tsunamis do not result in giant breaking waves (like normal surf waves at the beach that curl over as they approach shore). Rather, they come in much like very strong and very fast tides (i.e., a rapid, local rise in sea level)." Nevertheless, there is destruction of life and of property by floating debris and impact of water. The tsunami produces a series of rushing waves and also a series of withdrawals.

If you think about throwing a rock in water, a ripple is formed. It is the same principle involving a meteor or an earthquake, except they form bigger ripples. If you think about that ripple, it seems to disappear as time goes on--but in actuality, it does not stop. In the picture below we can see that a tsunami is very fast (the speed often compared with that of a jet) and it has a height of 20 inches.

How Volcanoes Cause Tsunamis

There are two different ways that volcanoes can cause seismic waves. One possibility is for a land-based volcano to break down and collapse, forcing large amounts of ash and debris into the water. This sudden change and displacement of the water column transfers to kinetic energy and results in waves. More debris can create a bigger increase in wave amplitude and number.

Geosciene Australia

Tsunamis can also be induced by submarine volcanoes. These underwater volcanoes can collapse downwards or spew forth lava heating the surrounding water quickly.

How Landslides Cause Tsunamis

Landslides are similar to volcanoes that avalanche into the sea. They occur in the water and often are triggered by earthquakes. There is an instance in 1958 where a tsunami was caused by rockfall in Lituya Bay, Alaska. In this instance, a gigantic boulder was loosed by an earthquake and fell into the bay causing a tsunami that went out to sea.

Geography of Tsunamis

World Oceans Map

An average of 85% of all tsunamis have been observed in the Pacific Ocean in the "Ring of Fire." George Maul participated in an expert panel discussion on tsunami locations, in association with Smithsonian magazine . In his presentation he offered data (shown below) representing the distribution of tsunamis in the world's oceans and seas:
Location Atlantic East Coast Atlantic West Coast Mediterranean Caribbean Bay of Bengal East Indies Oceania Japan-Russia Pacific East Coast % 1.6 0.4 10.1 13.8 0.8 20.3 25.4 18.6 8.9

What to do when a tsunami occurs

You mustn't gather all your precious Items while there is a tsunami The only items you must bring is a radio and cell phone

Create an evacuation plan so you know where to go; you must get to a place at least 50 feet above sea level in order to be safe.

Pay attention if an earthquake occurs. Turn on your radio and listen for tsunami watches or warnings. If a watch or warning is issued, you may have only 20 30 minutes to evacuate to higher ground.

If you need extra time to get to safety, evacuate right away. Do not wait for warnings. Heed warnings, even if you think you are too far away to be affected.

Get to higher ground immediately.

 THE KILLER 2004 TSUNAMI!

What happened??
The tsunami in 2004 took away more than 10 000 lives in India, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sir Lanka, and many other smaller islands.

Thanks for listening

Made by dirk COINCOIN