Tsunami

A detailed Summary of Tsunami

Tsunamis are not as common as other weather related disasters, but they can cause significant damage. The word tsunami comes from a Japanese word meaning "long harbor wave." Today, scientist use the term to define seismic sea waves generated by undersea earthquakes or undersea landslides and volcanic eruptions. Most tsunamis occur along the Ring of Fire, a wave of volcanic and earthquake activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The Hawaiian Islands and Alaska areas are common for this type of disaster. Tsunami waves have long lengths and travel very fast in deep water. Upon reaching the shore, the speed of the wave decreases, but the height increases dramatically causing massive damage to coastlines. The Tsunami Warning System has helped in warning people of these disasters, but more research and technology is needed to improve the predictions of this natural disaster.

Tsunami is not a common term for people living on the East Coast, but the term poses a fear for those living close to the Pacific Ocean. The word Tsunami comes from a Japanese word meaning "long harbor wave." Scientist to describe a seismic sea wave generated by an undersea earthquake or an undersea landslide (Encarta) also uses

As tsunamis near the shoreline and shallow water, the speed decreases. The energy contained in the tsunami, which is dependent on both wave speed and height remains constant. In turn, as the tsunamis speed diminishes; the height of the wave increases rapidly. As the wave grows closer to shore it transforms and the height could increase to 50 feet or more. The first visible sign of a tsunami may be reccession of water from the shoreline, or a rise as the tsunami gets closer (Mac). These tsunamis have great erosion potential, stripping beach sand that may have taken years to accumulate, and destroy coastal vegetation. They are capable of flooding hundreds of meters inland past the typical high water level, and the fast moving water can crush homes and other coastal structure (Tsunami).

Through out history there have been numerous examples of the massive destruction caused by tsunamis. One tragedy occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1964. On March 27, Good Friday, a massive tsunami was formed after an earthquake measuring 8.6 on the Richter scale had taken place. The tsunami reached 40 feet in height and caused mass destruction that lead to the death of many of the Alaskan people. The destruction caused 107 deaths and 84 million dollars in damages. The surrounding areas ran up a toll of another 15 deaths, and more than 26 million dollars in damages (Booth). Also, there have been 13 significant tsunamis in the last century that made an impact on Hawaii. Some recorded waves of 55 feet high on the Big Island and 54 feet on Molokai during 1946. The most recent and destructive tsunami to reach Hawaii occurred on November 29,1975. At this time, two earthquakes violently shook the island and within 30 seconds the first of five tsunami waves crashed the shoreline of Halapa. The wave was 47 feet high and kill

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Approximate Word count = 1236
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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