Tsunami Hazard Worksheet/CGS

Instructions for online access to California Tsunami Maps

Part 1: Tsunami asics
!o" onto: http://conser#ation$ca$"o#/c"s
Welcome to the California Geolo"ical Sur#e% &CGS' (e)site*
Click on Geologic Hazards &the )ro(n ta) near the top of the pa"e'$ Then on
the "reen )ar that appears )elo( it+ click on Tsunamis &on the far ri"ht'$
This is the CGS Tsunami (e)site$
Scroll do(n and click on ,**New**CGS Note Tsunamis
The pa"e that comes up should ha#e TSUNAMIS Note across the
top$ -ead the first para"raph titled !"at is a tsunami#
1$ What is one (a% a tsunami can )e "enerated.
/ lar"e earth0uake
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2$ What is one difference )et(een a tsunami and a normal (a#e that )reaks on
the )each.
It isn3t reall% a )reakin" (a#e )ut more of a flood$
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-ead the ne4t t(o sections titled Tsunami !arning Signs and Tsunami Hero$
5$ What should %ou do if %ou are at the )each and feel stron" shakin" from an
earth0uake.
6on3t sta% on the )each and immediatel% "et to hi"h "round$
7$ What did Till% Smith see that (arned her that a tsunami (as comin".
The stran"e patterns of the tides and the )u))lin" of the (ater$
Scroll do(n until the top of pa"e 2 appears$ -ead the section titled Tsunami
Hazards in Cali%ornia$
8$ Tsunamis can )e caused )% either local or distant earth0uakes$
9f the fi#e tsunamis that are descri)ed+ circle the %ear of the one that %ou
think (as the (orst and e4plain (h% on the space )elo(:
1:;; 1<12 1=7> 1=>7 2;11
It may have only caused one death in California but it caused 50 million dollars in property
damage. Also, that was the tsunami that struck Japan and took of a million lives.
Close the TSUNAMIS Note pa"e+ and return to the top of the CGS
Tsunami !e&site pa"e$
Created by the California Geological Survey 10/11
Part 2: Tsunami Inundation Maps
?ear the top of the CGS Tsunami !e& Site pa"e+ click on ,US' N'!
INT'(ACTI)' G**G+' MA,S INT'(-AC' T* ACC'SS *--ICA+ INUN.ATI*N
MA,S -*( 'M'(G'NC/ ,+ANNING $@ This takes %ou to the tsunami inde4 map
for the state$
Think of a place alon" the California coast that %ou and %our famil% ha#e #isited
or (ould like to #isit$
T%pe the name of that cit% or )each in the search )o4$
9r+ %ou can also click directl% on the California map and zoom in until %ou see
%our area$ Continue to zoom in until %ou can read the names of all the streets$
1$ -ecord the name of the area %ou searched for:
!os /n"eles
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The )lue area on the map is called the inundation zone+ and represents the
area that can )e affected )% a tsunami$
2$ If %ou (ere #isitin"+ (orkin" or li#in" in this zone+ name t(o (a%s %ou mi"ht
)e (arned that a tsunami could )e approachin":
&1' uo%s (ith sensors could detect the tsunami$
&2' If it (as close enou"h %ou could actuall% feel the earth0uake$
2$ If %ou are in a tsunami inundation zone and %ou recei#e a (arnin"+
(hat should %ou do.
Immediatel% "et to hi"h "round
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Part 5: Tsunami Inundation and Ale#ation
While still on the interacti#e map (e)pa"e+ in the upper ri"ht corner of the map+
open the drop do(n menu la)eled Ma0 on the upper ri"ht+ and click on the
M1To0o option$ This (ill chan"e the underl%in" map to a BSGS topo"raphic
)ase map$
The ed"e of the coastline represents seaCle#el$ Sea Cle#el has an ele#ation of
zero feet$ Contour lines represent (here the ele#ation is the same$ Dor e4ample+
if %ou (alk alon" a 2;Cfoot contour line+ %ou (ill not "o up or do(n hillE %ou (ill
sta% at the same ele#ation$
When scientists calculate the e4pected size of a tsunami alon" the California
coastline+ man% thin"s are taken into account: the cause of the tsunami+ ho( far the
(a#e tra#els from its source+ the shape of the coastline+ and the shape of the
sea floor near the coast$ Scientists use the contour lines on topo"raphic maps
to sho( the limit of the inundation zone$
Dor an area that scientists e4pect a 18Cfoot tsunami+ the tsunami inundation line
(ould )e dra(n at an ele#ation of 18 feet$ This (ould mean that e#er%thin" from
the shoreline to an ele#ation of 18 feet (ould )e co#ered )% that tsunami$
Tsunamis can )e different sizes$ The inundation line is dra(n at an ele#ation that
represents the lar"est tsunami that could )e "enerated for that area$
T%pe ,Seal each@ into the Searc" 2o3 and click search$ Foom in as far as %ou
can$ Make sure %ou still ha#e the )ase map still set at M1To0o$
Dind ,4oeter Sc"ool on the map$ &?ote ,School@ is a))re#iated as
,Sch@'$ Dind ,McGaug" Sc"ool$@
1$ Which school is inside the tsunami inundation area. Foeter School
Foeter School has an ele#ation of 15 ft$
McGau"h School has an ele#ation of 22 feet$
2$ If the to(n of Seal each recei#ed a tsunami (arnin"+ (ould )oth schools
need to e#acuate their students. ?o
5$ A4plain (h%:
The tsunami (ould not )e a threat to McGau"h school )ecause it is out of the
inundation zone and hi"her than the threat ele#ation$
7$ Share this (e)site (ith %our famil%* Comments:11111111111111111111111111
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The ne4t time %ou #isit the California coast+ look for
these )lue and (hite si"ns:
Created by the California Geological Survey 10/11