TSUNAMI

What is a tsunami?
A Tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly
generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and whose
heights could be greater than 5 meters. It is
erroneously called tidal waves and sometimes
mistakenly associated with storm surges. Tsunamis can
occur when the earthquake is shallow-seated and
strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and
disturb the mass of water over it.
How are tsunami generated?
Tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly
generated by under-the-sea earthquakes.
What is not well-known is that tsunami can also
be produced by other natural phenomena aside from
an undersea earthquakes, these include:
• Underwater landslides (ex. Palu, Indonesia-
Sep.28, 2018)
• Volcanic eruptions ( ex. Krakatau- Au7g. 27, 1883
and Dec. 22, 2018)
• Very rarely by large meteorite impact in the
ocean.
Some causes of tsunami
Tsunami are caused by violent seafloor
movement associated with earthquakes, landslide,
lava entering the sea, seamount collapse, or meteorite
impact. The most common cause is earthquakes. Note
that 72% of tsunamis are generated by earthquakes. A
disturbance that displaces a large water mass from its
equilibrium position can cause a tsunami.
Tsunami Threat in the Philippines
There are two types of tsunami generation: Local
tsunami and Far Field or distant tsunami. The coastal
areas in the Philippines especially those facing the
Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes
Sea can be affected by tsunamis that may be generated
by local earthquakes.
Local tsunamis are confined to coasts within a hundred
kilometers of the source usually earthquakes and a
landslide or a pyroclastics flow. It can reach the
shoreline within 2 to 5 minutes. Far field or distant
tsunamis can travel from 1 to 24 hours before reaching
the coast of the nearby countries.
 These tsunamis mainly coming from the countries
bordering Pacific Ocean like Chile, Alaska in USA and
Japan. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and
Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center (NWPTAC) are
the responsible agencies that closely monitor Pacific-wide
tsunami event and send tsunami warning to the countries
around the Pacific Ocean.
The Philippines is frequently visited by tsunamis.
On 17 August 1976, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in Moro
Gulf produced up to 9-meter high tsunamis which
devastated the southwest coast of Mindanao and left
more than 3,000 people dead, with at least 1,000 people
missing. Also on 15 November 1994 Mindoro Earthquake
also generated tsunamis that left 49 casualties
Natural Signs of an Approaching Tsunami

A felt earthquake Unusual Sea Level Change

Rumbling Sound of Approaching Waves

 The Philippines is vulnerable to tsunami due to the
presence of offshore faults and trenches such as Manila
Trench, Negros Trench, Sulu Trench, Cotabato Trench,
Philippine Trench, and East Luzon Trough. Tsunamis in the
Philippines are rare but could be devastating.

In the past, 38 people drowned as a result of a

tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in
Mindoro on November 15, 1994. A magnitude 8.1
earthquake on August 17, 1976 generated by the
movement along the Cotabato trench produced massive
tsunami waves as high as nine meters. Around 8,000
people were killed or missing and it is known as the most
disastrous tsunami to hit the Philippines in the last four
decades.
Date Cause Max tidal Fatalities
wave
03/05/2002 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Mindanao 3m 0
Island, Phil. with a magnitude of 7.5
11/14/1994 Earthquake in the Philippines (Phil. Island) 7.3 m 30
with a magnitude of 7.1
05/17/1992 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Philippines) 6m 0
With a magnitude of 7.1
08/16/1976 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Moro Gulf) 9m 4,381
with a magnitude of 8.0
10/31/1975 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Phil. 0m 1
Trench) with a magnitude of 7.6
03/17/1973 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Quezon) 1.3 m 0
with a magnitude of 7.5
04/17/1970 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Phil. Sea) Om 0
with a magnitude of 7.3
08/01/1968 Earthquake in the Philippines ( E. Luzon 0m 1
Island) with a magnitude of 7.3
09/28/1965 Volcano in the Philippines ( Taal, Luzon 4.7 m 355
Island)
Date Cause Max. tidal fatalities
wave
05/22/1960 Earthquake in Chile ( Southern Chile) with a 1.5 m 21
magnitude of 9.5. The tsunami caused damages in 13
further countries. A total of2,226 humans died.
01/24/1948 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Sulu sea) with a 0m 2
magnitude of 8.3
12/19/1928 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Celebes Sea) with a 0m 4
magnitude of 7.3
06/15/1928 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Sulu Sea) with a 0m 0
magnitude of 7.0
05/06/1924 Earthquake, landslide in the Philippines ( Philippines) 0m 0
with a magnitude of 6.5
11/11/1921 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Philippine Trench) with 0 m 0
a magnitude of 7.5
08/15/1918 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Celebes Sea) with a 5.5 m 6
magnitude of 8.3
01/31/1917 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Celebes Sea) with a 1.5m 0
magnitude of 6.4
Date Cause Max. Fatalities
tidal
wave
01/30/ 1911 Volcano in the Philippines ( Taal, Luzon Island) 3m 54

10/18/1897 Earthquake in the Philippines ( Samar Island) 0m 0

with a magnitude of 8.1

09/21/1897 Earthquake in the Philippines (Sulu Sea) with a 7m 13

magnitude of 8.7

08/12/1749 Volcano in the Philippines ( Taal, Luzon Island 0m 0

Tsunami Safety and Preparedness Measures
Each one of us in the community should learn some important Tsunami Safety
and Preparedness Measures such as the following:
1. Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas after a felt earthquake. Move to higher
grounds immediately.
2. If unusual sea conditions like rapid lowering of sea level are observed,
immediately move towards high grounds.
3. Never go down the beach to watch for a tsunami. When you see the wave, you
are
too close to escape it.
4. During the retreat of sea level, interesting sights are often revealed. Fishes may
be
stranded on dry land thereby attracting people to collect them. Also sandbars
and
coral flats may be exposed. These scenes tempt people to flock to the shoreline
thereby increasing the number of people at risk.
Quoting an old Japanese proverb Usec. Solidum reiterates that,
“the next disaster strikes after we have forgotten the last
one.” It is important we learn from the past experiences so
we know how we can prepare in case it happen again in
the future.

References:
https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1014614
https://www.worlddata.info/asia/philippines/tsunamis.php
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/tsunami/introduction-to-tsunami
https://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/index.php/news/7643-prepare-for-tsunami-urges-usec-solidum