LESSON 4: TSUNAMI

A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves

caused by a large and sudden displacement of the
ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below
or near the ocean floor.
“Tsunami” comes from the Japanese characters
for harbor (“tsu”) and wave (“name”).
These are also called seismic sea waves and are
one of the most powerful and destructive natural
forces. 
When they reach the coast, they can cause
dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents
that can last for several hours or days.
1. Tsunamis are among Earth’s most infrequent hazards
and most of them are small and nondestructive. 
2. Over deep water, the tsunami has very long
wavelengths (often hundreds of kilometers long) when
a tsunami enters shallow water, its wavelength gets
reduced and the period remains unchanged, which
increases the wave height.
3. It radiates in all directions from the point of origin and
covers the entire ocean.
4. It generally consists of a series of waves, with periods
ranging from minutes to hours.
5. An individual tsunami may impact coasts differently. A
tsunami can strike any ocean coast at any time. They pose a
major threat to coastal communities. The effect of Tsunami
would occur only if the epicenter of the tremor is below
oceanic waters and the magnitude is sufficiently high.
6. The speed of the wave in the ocean
depends upon the depth of water. It is more
in the shallow water than in the ocean
deep. As a result of this, the impact of a
tsunami is more near the coast and less
over the ocean.
How are Tsunami generated?
A Tsunami can be generated only through the
vertical movement of the seafloor. Most Tsunamis
are generated by earthquakes. Volcanic eruption,
underwater explosion, landslides and meteorite
impacts are some other causes of Tsunami. 
According to the Global Historical Tsunami
Database, tsunamis that cause damage or deaths
near their source occur approximately twice per
year.
Tsunamis that cause damage or deaths on
distant shores (more than 1,000 kilometers, 620
miles, away) occur about twice per decade.
Like the earthquakes that generate most
tsunamis, scientists cannot predict when and
where the next tsunami will strike. But, the
Tsunami Warning Centers know which
earthquakes are likely to generate tsunamis and
can issue tsunami messages when they think a
tsunami is possible.
Tsunamis can be generated in all of the
world’s oceans, inland seas, and in any large
body of water. They have caused damage
and deaths in coastal areas all around the
world.
Of the 754 confirmed events in the Global Historical
Tsunami Database between 1900 and 2015, about..
78% occurred in the Pacific Ocean (around the
geologically active “Ring of Fire”)
8% in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea
6% in the Mediterranean Sea
5% in the Indian Ocean
1% in other seas
Since 1900, the highest percentage of tsunamis was
generated off Japan (21%) followed by Russia (8%) and
Indonesia (8%).
Most tsunamis are small and nondestructive or only
affect coasts near their source, but some tsunamis can
cause damage and deaths on distant shores (more than
1,000 kilometers, 620 miles, away).
The most significant distant tsunamis since 1900
originated off Alaska, Chile, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan,
and Russia.
1. Bolivia
2. Chile
3. Ecuador
4. Peru
5. Costa Rica
6. Guatemala
7. Mexico
8. United States
9. Canada
10. Russia
11. Japan
12. Philippines
13. Australia
14. Papua New Guinea
15. Indonesia
16. New Zealand
17. Antarctica 
Earthquakes provide the energy to generate tsunamis
through sudden movements to the water column.
Key earthquake characteristics that contribute to tsunami
generation are location, magnitude, and depth.
Most tsunamis are generated by earthquakes with
magnitudes over 7.0 that occur under or very near the
ocean (usually at or near subduction zones, where oceanic
and continental plates collide) and less than 100 kilometers
(62 miles) below the Earth’s surface.
Generally, an earthquake must exceed magnitude 8.0 to
generate a dangerous distant tsunami.
1. The largest earthquake ever recorded was
a magnitude 9.5 earthquake off the coast of
Southern Chile on May 22, 1960.
2. The second largest earthquake, the 1964
magnitude 9.2 in Prince William Sound,
Alaska, both generated devastating
tsunamis.
3. A magnitude 9.1 earthquake generated a tsunami that
caused tremendous devastation locally and was observed
all over the Pacific. In Honshu Island, Japan, the
earthquake and tsunami displaced more than 500,000
people, caused approximately $236 billion (2016 dollars) in
damage and resulted in a nuclear accident.