What is a tsunami?

A Tsunami is a sequence of waves produced by earthquakes on the seabed; by underwater landslides;

eruptions of submerged volcanoes and less frequently by the impact of meteorites.

The Japanese word Tsunami which in Spanish means "harbor wave" is represented by the two characters
illustrated here, where the upper one indicates "tsu" (port) and the lower one "nami" (wave).

How are they produced?

1. Generation

They are produced by a sudden dislocation of a large portion of the seabed which in turn disturbs the sea
surface, displacing large volumes of water several meters above its equilibrium position.

2. Propagation.

The potential energy - the volume of water displaced - spreads to the coasts in the form of waves that are
known as "tsunami or tsunami". The speed of propagation of the tsunami is of approximately 800 km /
hour in the open sea, where the depths reach 5000 meters, and its speed decreases when approaching the
coast, reaching 35 km / hour in 10 meters of depth.

3. Flood.

Tsunamis are amplified when they reach the coasts and can cause flash floods or a withdrawal from the
sea followed by a flood. The flood is manifested as a tide that rises rapidly and sometimes as a wall of
water that advances over the coast, being able to penetrate several kilometers inland reaching heights of
up to 30 meters, as was the case of Sumatra in 2004 and Japan in 2011. Not always the first wave is the
highest, sometimes it is the third or fourth wave, same that occur at intervals of 30 minutes and continue
to arrive at a lower height for at least 24 hours.

Generation of a Tsunami

Classification of Tsunamis.

For practical purposes, to take measures to prevent a tsunami warning, tsunamis of seismic origin are
classified in local, regional and distant or transoceanic.

Local Tsunamis: The flood is confined along the coast in the area of the earthquake and at distances of
100 km adjacent to the earthquake area.

Regional Tsunamis: They are capable of causing destruction at distances of 1,000 km from the generation
region within 2 to 3 hours from their origin.

Distant Tsunamis: Distant or transoceanic tsunamis are those that originate in the western margin of the
Pacific Ocean and take between 8 and 12 hours to reach our shores. The tsunamis of distant origin for
Mexico can cause considerable damage when the earthquake that originates them is of great magnitude
(M 9 to 9.5).

What damages do they cause?

Tsunamis caused by earthquakes of magnitude 8 to 9.5 are very destructive and are a threat to life and
property. They drag rocks of several tons along with boats and debris and move inland at high speed, like
a crushing machine, as happened on March 11, 2011 during the tsunami that devastated the coast of
Japan after the earthquake of magnitude 9.0
Where are they presented?

Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes that occur in the Belt of Fire of the Pacific Ocean, in the zones
of subsidence or subduction of the edges of the tectonic plates that form the crust of the seabed. In
Mexico, the greatest risk is local tsunamis generated by earthquakes in the Mesoamerican Trench, which
is the zone of collapse of Cocos and Rivera plates under the North American plate, adjacent to the
western coast of Mexico, from Jalisco to Chiapas. .

The Tsunamis in Mexico

Historical information documents the arrival of 60 tsunamis to the west coast of Mexico in the last 250
years. The tsunamis of distant origin have had waves of 2.5 meters high and those of local origin have had
waves of 5 meters on average and exceptionally up to 10 meters high, causing loss of life and destruction.
The states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas are exposed to local and
distant tsunamis, while Baja California, Sonora and Sinaloa are exposed to distant and regional tsunamis.

Map of danger by tsunamis for the Maxican Republic (CENAPRED)

Security measures in response to a Tsunami warning

1.- Move away from low-lying coastal areas and those that are more dangerous, such as beaches.

Not all earthquakes generate tsunamis, if you receive a tsunami warning or if you feel a strong earthquake
that makes it difficult to stay on your feet, the earthquake itself is the warning: move away from beaches
and low-lying coastal areas.

2.- Try to get away from dangerous areas while the alert lasts.

Move away from rivers or streams. If you are in low areas such as river deltas or sand bars and do not
have time to reach a safe place on the hill, look for a building and climb to the top floor.

3.- Be careful with changes in sea level.

If the sea level suddenly increases or decreases leaving the seabed uncovered, this is the natural signal
of the imminent arrival of a tsunami. Do not go exploring the seabed, move away immediately from the
beach.

4.-Never go to the beach to watch a tsunami.

You will not be able to escape and it may be the last thing you see. In a few minutes the tsunami begins to
flood with great speed, moving inland faster than a person can run. Do not use your car, evacuate on foot,
there may be roads blocked by traffic congestion.

On December 26, 2004, a tourist watches the retreat of the sea before the tsunami waves returned in
minutes to flood the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.

5.- In the open sea, far from the coast, the waves of the tsunami are not destructive for the boats.

If you are navigating a boat and you feel a strong earthquake or receive a tsunami warning, do not return
to port. Even though sometimes the waves of the tsunami do not represent danger of flood, they generate
very strong currents in the entrance of the ports and the boats inside the port collide with each other.

Canvases carried away by the tsunami in Japan.

6.- Be alert to the news that is broadcast on radio and television during a tsunami warning.

These indications can save your life. Experience indicates that the victims of the tsunamis have mostly
been people who ignored the tsunami warnings.

7.- Avoid panic in case of evacuation and cooperate with the authorities regarding the indications they
provide to escape to safe places.

8.- In places where the time to evacuate to highlands is not enough, they should take refuge in tall
buildings, ensuring that the doors and windows are open for the free circulation of water and does not
affect the structure