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    Tsunami

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    sdasda
    A tsunami is a series of waves caused by the displacement of water, usually due to an earthquake. Tsunamis move through the entire water column from the ocean floor to the surface. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, but can also be triggered by landslides, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. In deep ocean water, tsunamis travel at over 500 mph but are barely noticeable, while near the shore they slow down and increase dramatically in height, potentially flooding low-lying areas over a mile inland and causing widespread damage. Tsunamis present a significant threat to human life and infrastructure.

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    Tsunami

    Uploaded by

    sdasda
    36 views3 pages
    A tsunami is a series of waves caused by the displacement of water, usually due to an earthquake. Tsunamis move through the entire water column from the ocean floor to the surface. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, but can also be triggered by landslides, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. In deep ocean water, tsunamis travel at over 500 mph but are barely noticeable, while near the shore they slow down and increase dramatically in height, potentially flooding low-lying areas over a mile inland and causing widespread damage. Tsunamis present a significant threat to human life and infrastructure.

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    A tsunami is a series of waves caused by the displacement of water, usually due to an earthquake. Tsunamis move through the entire water column from the ocean floor to the surface. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, but can also be triggered by landslides, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. In deep ocean water, tsunamis travel at over 500 mph but are barely noticeable, while near the shore they slow down and increase dramatically in height, potentially flooding low-lying areas over a mile inland and causing widespread damage. Tsunamis present a significant threat to human life and infrastructure.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    36 views3 pages

    Tsunami

    Uploaded by

    sdasda
    A tsunami is a series of waves caused by the displacement of water, usually due to an earthquake. Tsunamis move through the entire water column from the ocean floor to the surface. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries, but can also be triggered by landslides, volcanic eruptions, and meteor impacts. In deep ocean water, tsunamis travel at over 500 mph but are barely noticeable, while near the shore they slow down and increase dramatically in height, potentially flooding low-lying areas over a mile inland and causing widespread damage. Tsunamis present a significant threat to human life and infrastructure.

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    tsunami

    What is a tsunami?
    A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement
    of the ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below or near the ocean floor. This force
    creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes
    crossing entire ocean basins. Unlike wind-driven waves, which only travel through the
    topmost layer of the ocean, tsunamis move through the entire water column, from the ocean
    floor to the ocean surface.

    What causes tsunamis?


    Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes on converging tectonic plate boundaries.
    According to the Global Historical Tsunami Database, since 1900, over 80% of likely
    tsunamis were generated by earthquakes. However, tsunamis can also be caused by
    landslides, volcanic activity, certain types of weather, and—possibly—near-earth objects
    (e.g., asteroids, comets) colliding with or exploding above the ocean.

    Tsunami movement
    Once a tsunami forms, its speed depends on the depth of the ocean. In the deep ocean, a
    tsunami can move as fast as a jet plane, over 500 mph, and its wavelength, the distance
    from crest to crest, may be hundreds of miles. Mariners at sea will not normally notice a
    tsunami as it passes beneath them; in deep water, the top of the wave rarely reaches more
    than three feet higher than the ocean swell. NOAA Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting
    of Tsunami (DART) systems, located in the deep ocean, are able to detect small changes in
    sea-level height and transmit this information to tsunami warning centers.

    tsunami safety
    A tsunami only becomes hazardous when it approaches land. As a tsunami enters shallow
    water near coastal shorelines, it slows offsite link

    to 20 to 30 mph. The wavelength decreases, the height increases, and currents intensify.

    Tsunami warnings come in different forms. There are official warnings issued by tsunami
    warning centers that are broadcast through local radio and television, wireless emergency
    alerts, NOAA Weather Radios, NOAA websites, and social media. They may also come
    through outdoor sirens, local officials, text message alerts, and telephone notifications.
    There may not be time to wait for an official warning, so it is important to be able to
    recognize natural tsunami warnings. These include strong or long earthquakes, a loud roar
    (like that of a train or an airplane) coming from the ocean, and a sudden rise or fall of the sea
    level that is not related to the tide. Official and natural warnings are equally important. Be
    prepared to respond immediately to any tsunami warnings. Move quickly to a safe place by
    following posted evacuation signs. If you do not see an evacuation route, go to high ground
    or as far inland as possible.
    When they strike land, most tsunamis are less than 10 feet high, but in extreme cases, they
    can exceed 100 feet near their source. A tsunami may come onshore like a fast-rising flood
    or a wall of turbulent water, and a large tsunami can flood low-lying coastal areas more than
    a mile inland.

    Rushing water from waves, floods, and rivers is incredibly powerful. Just six inches of
    fast-moving water can knock adults off their feet, and twelve inches can carry away a small
    car. Tsunamis can be particularly destructive because of their speed and volume. They are
    also dangerous as they return to the sea, carrying debris and people with them. The first
    wave in a tsunami may not be the last, the largest, or the most damaging. Stay out of the
    tsunami hazard zone until local officials tell you it is safe, as the danger may last for hours or
    days.

    Tsunami effects on humans


    Large tsunamis are significant threats to human health, property, infrastructure, resources,
    and economies. Effects can be long-lasting, and felt far beyond the coastline. Tsunamis
    typically cause the most severe damage and casualties near their source, where there is
    little time for warning. But large tsunamis can also reach distant shorelines, causing
    widespread damage. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, for example, impacted 17 countries in
    Southeastern and Southern Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa.

    Tsunami forecasting
    Scientists cannot predict when and where the next tsunami will strike. But the tsunami
    warning centers know which earthquakes are likely to generate tsunamis and can issue
    messages when one is possible. They monitor networks of deep-ocean and coastal
    sea-level observation systems designed to detect tsunamis and use information from these
    networks to forecast coastal impacts and guide local decisions about evacuation. Tsunami
    warning capabilities have become dramatically better since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
    NOAA scientists are working to further improve warning center operations and to help
    communities be prepared to respond.

    EDUCATION CONNECTION
    Students can investigate tsunamis to discover the impacts of Earth's systems on humans.
    Teachers can use these potentially deadly waves and other natural hazards to bring
    relevance to science concepts such as plate tectonics, acceleration and speed, force and
    motion, energy transfer, and the physics of waves. In addition, many schools, homes, and
    businesses are located in tsunami hazard zones. Many coastal states and territories have
    tsunami preparedness campaigns in place. Teaching students about tsunami safety and
    preparedness plans may ultimately save lives.
    tsunami:

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