Overview, January 1, 2004 (660 k. B JPEG) On December 26, 2004, tsunamis swept across the Indian ocean, spawned by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aside from Indonesia, the island nation of Sri Lanka likely suffered the most casualties, with the death toll reported at 21,715 on December 29th.
What is tsunami?
A tsunami is a series of waves caused by earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions. On September 29, 2009, a tsunami caused substantial damage and loss of life in American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga. The tsunami was generated by a large earthquake in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
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. This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes crossing entire ocean basins.
When I was writing we ran into the question “What happens to the top of the wave during a tsunami?”.
One article argued that the tops of the waves move faster than their bottoms do, which causes them to rise precipitously. A tsunami’s trough, the low point beneath the wave’s crest, often reaches shore first. When it does, it produces a vacuum effect that sucks coastal water seaward and exposes harbor and sea floors.
Although they are seen in every ocean on Earth, 80 percent of the worst tsunamis occur in the Pacific “ Ring of Fire. ” As a tsunami wave approaches shallow water over land, the wave slows, causing the much quicker traveling water to pull up, extending the wave vertically.
What determines the size of a tsunami?
From the area where the tsunami originates, waves travel outward in all directions. Once the wave approaches the shore, it builds in height. The topography of the coastline and the ocean floor will influence the size of the wave. There may be more than one wave and the succeeding one may be larger than the one before.
What caused the tsunami of 2004?
The tsunami was generated by a large earthquake in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height.
, and by facebooker_1154620857899835. The Italian Tsunami The Waves were up to 15 metres high. This tsunami killed over 100,000 people Mar 3, 1933. Japanese Tsunami 3,000 people were killed in this tsunami. It was caused by a 7.4 earthquake Nov 4, 1952.
Even though this was the third-greatest magnitude earthquake recorded since 1990, the magnitude 9.1 temblor is best remembered for the deadly tsunami that the undersea quake Messina, 1908. A couple extra things to take a look at are: great lisbon earthquake, 1755, picture “the boot” of italy, krakatoa, 1883, on november 1, 1755, at about 9:40 a, m, or tōhoku, 2011.
What is the biggest tsunami in Japan history?
Sanriku, Japan Tsunami – The Sanriku earthquake of 1896 was one of the most destructive earthquakes to ever hit Japan. It registered an 8.5 in magnitude and caused two large tsunami waves which caused 27,000 deaths . The waves of the Sanriku event reached 25 meters and swept away everything they came into contact with.
Can we see tsunamis in the ocean?
In the deep ocean, a tsunami has a small amplitude (less than 1 metre) but very long wavelength (hundreds of kilometres). This means that the slope, or steepness of the wave is very small, so it is practically undetectable to the human eye. However, there are ocean observing instruments that are able to detect tsunamis.
So, do tsunamis crest?
As well as travelling at high speeds, tsunamis can also travel large distances with limited energy losses. As the tsunami propagates across the ocean, the wave crests can undergo refraction (bending), which is caused by segments of the wave moving at different speeds as the water depth along the wave crest varies.