5B Slide 1

Topic 5B:
Tsunami

Online Lecture:
Tsunami
What are tsunami?
What cause tsunami?
Why are tsunami so destructive?
What can we do to protect ourselves from tsunami?
What should we know to protect ourselves?
What is a tsunami? 5B Slide 2

http://www.asiantsunamivideos.com/
What does a tsunami
look like as it comes ashore?
Water surging up the shoreline,
like a fast-rising tide.
Does NOT resemble an
ordinary breaking wave.

What cause tsunami?

Earthquakes are the most common cause,
but also landslides, volcanoes, giant meteors, etc
anything that causes a large amount of water to move.

Called Seismic Sea Waves by scientists.

Deep-Water Tsunami 5B Slide 3

How large are tsunami 100+ miles long

out in the middle of the ocean? but no more than
a few feet high
How fast are tsunami
out in the middle
of the ocean? few feet

400+ As fast as jet 2.5 miles

mph airplanes!
300 miles
Are tsunami
dangerous few feet
in the middle
of the ocean? 2.5 miles
Why or why not?
300 miles
 Earthquake waves are much
Tsunami Warnings faster than tsunami. (DEMO) 5B Slide 4

How do scientists detect tsunami?

seismometers Not all earthquakes cause tsunami:
(detect earthquakes) must make the earth move up or down
close to the bottom of the ocean
tide gauges
pressure sensors on the bottom of the ocean

Assuming our systems and procedures work perfectly, will

there always be time to issue a warning? Why or why not?
Shallow-Water Tsunami 5B Slide 5

Like an ordinary wave, the ocean bottom gets in the way

of tsunami orbitals, slowing down the tsunami.
The crest behind is going faster than the crest in front,
squeezing the water in the middle: the only place it can
go is up.
The energy spread over miles is being concen-
50+ feet high trated in a small area (shallower water + slowing
is not unusual. down). The water in front has to keep going, no
300+ ft possible. matter what is in the way, as it is pushed by the
water behind for 10+ minutes.

Fastest Crest

Slowest
Crest
Middle
Crest
 5B Slide 6

Photographs
of Tsunami
Destruction I

Banda
Aceh,
Indonesia

Gleebruk Village,
Indonesia

Before After
Photographs of Tsunami Destruction II 5B Slide 7

Patong Beach, Velankani Beach,

Thailand India
 Tsunami Safety 5B Slide 8

Even if there is no official warning, under what circum-

stances might it be a good idea to get away from the coast
for fear of a tsunami?
Strong Earthquake Unusually Low Tide

Before After

Watch out
for the 2nd
or 3rd crest!

A tsunami like the one in Asia 2004 will most likely to strike the
United States along the coast of Alaska &/or the Pacific Northwest
(Northern California, Oregon, Washington) where there is a trench.