One World Essay Humans and the Tsunami Imbalance

By: Ravi Bimo

Introduction:
A Tsunami is a series of rapscallion water waves caused by water displacement of large proportions, it generally happens in large lakes and the ocean but then what is a wave? In physics, a wave is a disturbance or interruption that carries a distinct energy from a place to another through space and matter. These waves are composed of two types of waves, mechanical waves and electromagnetic waves. Mechanical waves are waves that radiate through a medium but again it only transport energy and therefore no medium is transported in the process. Mechanical waves can be a vibration of strings or a sound wave. Electromagnetic waves are waves that transmit without a medium. An e ample of electromagnetic waves are radio waves, light waves, thermal radiation and microwaves. !ome researchers and scientists believe there more waves than those of the main two but it is not yet accepted in mainstream science. "aves are used in daily life, for e ample, "i#$i utili%es the use of microwaves to transmit data from the computer to the router and vice versa. In this case, a Tsunami is a mechanical wave traveling through water. The water displacement which happens in a Tsunami is more often caused by earth&uakes but could be also caused by large landslides, a high velocity falling e traterrestrial ob'ect (i.e. Asteroids, Meteor) or a volcanic eruption.

Problem:
*ow do we defend largely unprepared and unprotected buildings, infrastructures and communities from a Tsunami that could potentially destroy it?

Solution:
$irstly to defend these things, we should divide our solution into two, warning and defensive solutions. +oth are very crucial, one is to warn the people and the other is to defend the buildings and infrastructures. The most important aspect on a natural disaster solution of this degree is to save more people than having without the solution itself. $urthermore, the lesser important aspect is to save the buildings, infrastructures and the community to preserve the economy after the disaster strikes. ,et-s start on the warning systems, the first solution proposed is to place buoys on the ocean that is capable of detecting water displacement. These buoys will transmit the troughs and the crests data of the water waves. After receiving those data it will calculate the amplitude and the water waves of the water waves passing by the water. +y observing those data, the meteorological agency will analy%e the data and if it is confirmed that the amplitude is deemed too high and the wavelength is too long to be a normal ocean wave, they would issue a warning to the most likely affected area. The complementary second solution,inspired by the .apanese government, is to place seismometers into The data sent from the observation point ( ) will processed the ocean, but instead of detecting !#"aves or the by the meteorological agency (). After it is decided that an transverse wave of water only, it would detect /#wave tsunami is on its way, the meteorological agency will send a or longitudinal waves. This is very much useful, for the warning to future effected areas. reason that the longitudinal waves traveling in water is faster than the transverse wave traveling in water. "hen two or more seismometers detect the longitudinal waves, the meteorological agency

will issue a warning before the transverse wave arrive. These warning systems aren-t much of a use, if the information isn-t communicated well. The third warning solution would concern on how the warning issued would be communicated. I would propose to send all warning information to the radio and television waves, mobile networks, and the Internet. $urthermore, placing signs of evacuation directions and sirens that would make a sound if a Tsunami warning is issued is also proposed. !econdly, there are the defensive systems that would protect buildings, infrastructures and communities. The first defensive solution is to use preventive and cautionary strategies. These includes educating the surrounding communities about Tsunamis and place an advisory warning in highly tsunami risk areas. Also the meteorological agency would advise the government on the placing of certain buildings and infrastructures. $urthermost, another advisory would be issued noting that it is advised to build buildings in higher ground. Another effective strategy is to discourage insurance companies to insure buildings and people that is located or living in very high risk areas. Also having all hospital staff prepared in the event of a natural disaster. The second proposed solution would be utili%ing engineering and also botanical advances. +y placing mangroves near shallow waters and coastal regions it would slow the transverse waves generated thus less energy and wave speed would be impacted to the buildings. This way of placing mangroves are very environmentally friendly way too. Also placing seawalls are An e ample of a Tsunami seawall very crucial at stopping the transverse waves coming from the tsunami but if it fails to do so it could reduce the amplitude of the tsunami by blocking most of the water.

Factors:
Economic These investments on the solutions being proposed would make the economy more preserved than without these solutions. *omes and businesses would be more protected and the economy wouldn-t have to pay much for the disaster recovery. /eople is also crucial in an economy that is why protecting people is the number one priority. If many people did not survive than the productivity of the people who survived would be much less because of the psychological and behavioral reasons that would lower their morale. Economic activities rely on the people-s incentive to work and spend their money without both the economy would go down. +ased on today-s prices on buoys, seismometers, cement, mangroves planting and construction. The pro'ected budget on this entire pro'ect is 0 12 # 32 million of ta payers money. The budget is pro'ected for this pro'ect is based on a coastal city with a population of 3 million people and a coastal line of roughly 12 km. Social After a natural disaster, some people get post#traumatic stress disorder, which is a severe emotional stress caused by a traumatic event. "ith the solutions proposed, it would save lives and would spare the people from suffering these kinds of diseases. !ociety would also benefit from the warning systems that is proposed so they are warned from the impending Tsunami. Also the educational strategy would useful because people would know what to do when a Tsunami happens. 4nlike the $ukushima incident, the government is advised by the meteorological agency to put certain buildings not near the coast regions so that these buildings would not cause another catastrophe happening again. The pro'ect will be funded by ta payers money, which means that the pro'ect and

outcome of it will be used for all the people in the area of the city. The warning systems is for the community and so does not target any people nor organi%ations of its use.

Resources:
5Earth&uake Early "arnings.5 Japan Meteorological Agency. .apanese 6overment, n.d. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<www.'ma.go.'p<'ma<en<Activities<eew.html=. Seawall. >igital image. Flickr. $lickr, n.d. "eb. 8? !ept. 7289. Earthquake Early Warning (Japan). >igital image. Commons.wikipe ia.org. "ikipedia @ommons, n.d. "eb. 8? !ept. 7289. 5*ow Tsunamis "ork.5 !owStu""Works. >iscovery @hannel, n.d. "eb. 7A Aug. 7289. :http;<<science.howstuffworks.com<nature<natural#disasters<tsunami7.htm=. Binver, Mark. 5Tsunami; Mangroves -saved ,ives-5 ##C $ews. ++@, 71 >ec. 7221. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<news.bbc.co.uk<7<hi<science<nature<A1AC297.stm=. 5Model /">+#A3#8122.5 %rotecte Water &ata #uoy. !ound Dcean !ystems, Inc., n.d. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. S an % Wa'es. (ou)u*e. EouTube, 2C .an. 7282. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<www.youtube.com<watch? vFglA$v*B%Al4=. 5!eismographs # Beeping Track of Earth&uakes.5 Seismographs + ,eeping )rack o" Earthquakes. 4!6!, n.d. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<earth&uake.usgs.gov<learn<topics<seismology<keepingGtrack.php=. 5!ocial $actors -help "omen with /ost#tsunami !tress-5 Sci &e' $et. !ci >ev Het, n.d. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<www.scidev.net<global<disasters<news<social#factors#help#women#with#post#tsunami#stress.html=. 5Tsunami +arriers.5 Science $et -inks. AAA! Drgani%ation, n.d. "eb. 71 Aug. 7289. :http;<<sciencenetlinks.com<science#news<science#updates<tsunami#barriers<=.

By : Ravi