Causes of Tsunami

Ikhsan M.Ramadan
XII RPL 2

A.What are tsunamis?

The word “tsunami” comprises the Japanese words”tsu” (meaning harbour) and
“nami” (meaning wave). A tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an
underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or
near the ocean.
Volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls can also
generate a tsunami, as can a large asteroid impacting the ocean. They originate
from a vertical movement of the sea floor with the consequent displacement of
water mass.
Tsunami waves often look like walls of water and can attack the shoreline and
be dangerous for hours, with waves coming every 5 to 60 minutes.
The first wave may not be the largest, and often it is the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or even
later waves that are the biggest. After one wave inundates, or floods inland, it
recedes seaward often as far as a person can see so the seafloor is exposed. The
next wave then rushes ashore within minutes and carries with it many floating
debris that were destroyed by previous waves. When waves enter harbors, very
strong and dangerous water currents are generated that can easily break ship
moorings, and bores that travel far inland can be formed when tsunamis entire
rivers or other waterway channels.
B. What causes and triggers a tsunami?

1. Earthquakes
It can be generated by movements along fault zones associated with plate
boundaries. The region where two plates come in contact is a plate boundary,
and the way in which one plate moves relative to another determines the type of
boundary:

Spreading, where two plates move away from each other;

Subduction, where two plates move towards each other and one slides beneath
the other;
Transform where two plates slide horizontally past each other.
Most strong earthquakes occur in subduction zones where an ocean plate slides
under a continental plate or another younger ocean plate.

All earthquakes do not cause tsunamis. There are four conditions necessary for
an earthquake to cause a tsunami:

The earthquake must occur beneath the ocean or cause the material to slide into
the ocean.
The earthquake must be strong, at least magnitude6.5 on the Richter Scale
The earthquake must rupture the Earth’s surface and it must occur at shallow
depth – less than 70km below the surface of the Earth.
The earthquake must cause vertical movement of the seafloor (up to several
meters).

2. Landslides
A landslide that occurs along the coast can force large amounts of water into the
sea, disturbing the water and generate a tsunami. Underwater landslides can also
result in tsunamis when the material loosened by the landslide moves violently,
pushing the water in front of it.

3. Volcanic Eruption
Although relatively infrequent, violent volcanic eruptions represent also
impulsive disturbances, which can displace a great volume of water and
generate extremely destructive tsunami waves in the immediate source area.
According to this mechanism, waves may be generated by the sudden
displacement of water caused by a volcanic explosion, by a volcanos slope
failure, or more likely by a phreatomagmatic explosion and collapse/engulfment
of the volcanic magmatic chambers.

One of the largest and most destructive tsunamis ever recorded was generated in
August 26, 1883 after the explosion and collapse of the volcano of Krakatoa
(Krakatau), in Indonesia. This explosion generated waves that reached 135 feet,
destroyed coastal towns and villages along the Sunda Strait in both the islands
of Java and Sumatra, killing 36, 417 people.
4. Extraterrestrial Collision
Tsunamis caused by extraterrestrial collision (i.e. asteroids, meteors) are an
extremely rare occurrence. Although no meteor/asteroid induced tsunami has
been recorded in recent history, scientists realize that if these celestial bodies
should strike the ocean, a large volume of water would undoubtedly be
displaced to cause a tsunami. Scientists have calculated that if a moderately
large asteroid, 5-6 km in diameter, should strike the middle of the large ocean
basin such as the Atlantic Ocean, it would produce a tsunami that would travel
all the way to the Appalachian Mountains in the upper two-thirds of the United
States.

On both sides of the Atlantic, coastal cities would be washed out by such a
tsunami. An asteroid 5-6 kilometers in diameter impacting between the
Hawaiian Islands and the West Coast of North America, would produce a
tsunami that would wash out the coastal cities on the West coasts of Canada, the
U.S., and Mexico and would cover most of the inhabited coastal areas of the
Hawaiian islands.
• Signs of a Tsunami
 -Reducing Sea Water
After a large earthquake occurs, a tsunami is usually marked by the receding of
sea water. Usually fish and coral will appear on the surface. The receding of sea
water can occur suddenly after an earthquake occurs. This is due to the opening
of the earth’s plate under the sea, automatically sea water will fill the space
created by the open earth plate.
- Rumbling
Sounds like the roar of a train or jet plane passing can signal an impending
tsunami wave. If you hear a sudden roar, you need to be aware of the dangers of
a tsunami that may occur. This rumbling sound occurs due to the shifting of the
earth’s plates under the sea.
-Animal Behavior Around
The next sign is an unusual animal sign than usual. Usually the birds will appear
in the sea area. Animals will tend to stay away from the sea because of their
sharp instinct for danger.
-Unusual Ocean Activity
Another sign of an impending tsunami is abnormal sea activity. Sea waves will
come suddenly and repeatedly with very strong energy.

A few minutes before the big waves, there will be small waves that mark the
return of the sea water. Run to the highlands, mountains, or hills to save
yourself from the sweeping tsunami waves.

•Conclusion
Tsunamis always cause great damage to humans. The greatest damage occurred
when the huge tsunami wave hit human settlements, dragging everything in its
path.

Pre-disaster
Reporting from the National Disaster Management Agency, here are some ways
to anticipate a tsunami.
Recognizing signs of a tsunami, such as the intensity of an old earthquake, low
tide, and rumbling sounds in the ocean
Knowing the level of vulnerability of the residence to the tsunami hazard
Understanding the local early warning system
Knowing evacuation routes and evacuation plans
Have a disaster anticipation plan with the family and carry out mitigation
exercises
Monitoring information from various official media after an earthquake occurs,
to find out the potential for a tsunami
Prepare a disaster preparedness bag (TSB)
Plant a variety of coastal trees, such as coconut palms and sea pine trees to
withstand the waves
Planting mangroves, to maintain shoreline stability and reduce the strength of
sea waves.
When Disaster
After the earthquake occurs, do not try to tidy up the condition of the house
first. Beware of aftershocks and information from the authorities
If you are indoors, stay calm and evacuate immediately to higher and safer
places
If you have reached a high area, wait there until the authorities declare it safe.
There is usually a second and third larger tsunami wave. It can even happen up
to five times
When evacuating, prioritize walking, don’t use a vehicle.