Tsunamis

Domonique Payan
Geology-1
Professor Clark

Table of Contents
Intro .3
Movement of a Tsunami .3
Formation of a Tsunami...4
Example 2011 Tsunami of Japan.5
Conclusion...6
Work Cited..7

Introduction
Tsunami is a Japanese word for
"Harbor Wave". A tsunami is a series of
ocean waves that are typically caused
by a large, undersea earthquake that
take place near or at tectonic plate
boundaries. When the ocean floor at a
plate boundary rises or falls abruptly it
displaces the water above it and launches the rolling waves that will soon after
become a tsunami. In the deep ocean, the tsunami wave may only be a few inches
to a foot or so high. But as it reaches the shoreline, where shallow water is located,
they begin to slow down and grow in energy and height. This happens because the
top of the waves move faster than the bottom waves do, which causes them to rise
quickly, causing widespread destruction when they hit the shore. About 80 percent
of most tsunamis take place within the Pacific Oceans Ring of Fire, which is
known to be a geologically active area where plate tectonic shift, making
volcanoes and earthquakes very common. In order for a tsunami to occur that are
caused by seaquakes/earthquakes, three things have to happen. First the earthquake
ought to measure at least 7, 0 on a Richter scale. Based from this high intensity
upwards is there sufficient energy to be released to quickly displace enough water
in order to create a tsunami. Secondly, the seabed has to lift or be lowered by the
earthquake at hand. If the sea bed is displaced in a side-wards motion, a tsunami
will not occur. Lastly, the start of the earthquake must occur near the earth's
surface.
Movement of a Tsunami
Once tsunamis are generated, they can travel up to thousands of miles at a
speed of 500 miles per hour. But if a tsunami is generated within the deep ocean,
the waves send out from the starting place of the disturbance and begin to move
toward land on all sides (spreading outward). These types of waves usually have a
huge wavelength and short wave height. This is why they are not easily recognized
in these regions, by the human eye.

As the tsunami begins to move toward the shore, the ocean's depth decreases
and its speed slows quickly, which causes the waves to grow in height due to the
wavelength decreasing. This is
known as amplification and is when
tsunami waves are most noticeable.
As the tsunami reaches the shore,
the trough of the wave strikes first
which at first seems to like a very
low tide. This is usually a warning
sign that a tsunami is about to take
place. Soon after the trough, the
climax of the tsunami comes ashore.
The waves that are formed knock the land like a burly, fast wall of water, instead of
a giant wave as shown in this picture. The further inward a tsunami travels on land
is due to the magnitude of the tsunami when being formed. But if the trough of a
tsunami wave reaches the land first, then the water will be pulled back into the sea
by enormous currents. As this happens the stretches of the seabed are drained.
The difference between a tsunami and normal waves or waves caused by
strong wind is the intense distances between their wavelengths.
Formation of a Tsunami
Usually before an
earthquake strikes a tectonic
plate slowly pushes its self
with incredible strength
under another plate. The
two plates then get caught
and tension begins to form.
Then the buildup of tension
and the end of one plate
becomes loose and launches
itself back into its initial
position. The tension that
had been building up over

time suddenly releases in an abrupt movement which is known to everyone to be

an earthquake. After the earthquake strikes the seabed is known to have moved
several meters upward. Then the mass of the water that is above the plates edge is
then displaced with a short amount of time which then a tsunami is developed. So
in other words tsunamis form from the sudden displacement of extremely large
water masses due to earthquakes that takes place on the seabed.
Japans Tsunami in 2011
An earthquake occurred in Japan on March 11, 2011. It struck around 2:46
p.m. local time with a magnitude of 9.0. It ruptured a 500-kilometer-long fault
zone off the northeast coast of Japan. It was said that the earthquake aggressively
shook northeast Honshu for approximately six minutes and its coastline collapsed
by one meter. The thrusting, from the earthquake, shifted Honshu about 2.4 meters
(8ft) eastward, at which triggered the
waves on the Pacific Ocean floor to set
off tsunami waves traveling at about
700 kilometers per hour. Waves
approximately 133ft tall crashed against
Honshus coastline, destroying towns,
villages and flooding areas up to 10
kilometers (6 miles) inland. Tsunami
waves also swept across the Pacific,
causing damage or disruptions in Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington and
British Columbia (earthmagazine: web).
Japan lies on the circumference of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is where
the Earths fastest-moving and largest tectonic plate (the Pacific Plate) is
subducting. It moves approximately several centimeters per year beneath several
other plates along the deep trenches. This subduction area has been producing
many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes along this Pacific Rim for millions of
years.
Reports confirmed that there were about 15,883 deaths, 6,146 injured and
2,654 people missing (2011 Thoku). Not only did this unfortunate event
damaged many buildings but it also caused severe structural damage in north-

eastern Japan, which included serious damages to roads and railways as well as
fires in several areas, and collapsed a dam.
Conclusion
In conclusion tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic
eruptions under the sea. The majority of tsunamis are generated by earthquakes and
volcanoes, along with
the theory of plate
tectonics, which
explains the cause of
earthquakes and
volcanoes. An
earthquake takes place
when plates move with
respect to each other.
Due to the plates not
being able to slide
smoothly at their boundaries, friction and stress occur at their edges, causing an
earthquake. In order for a tsunami to form this action (of an earthquake) must take
place within water in a vertical motion. When the ocean floor at a plate boundary
rises or falls abruptly it displaces the water above it and launches the rolling waves
that will soon after become a tsunami. The effects of tsunamis may vary but as we
can see from the 2011 tsunami of Japan, tsunami can cause an enormous amount of
damage to property and even cause death to those within proximity of the tsunami,
as well as structural damage. If you are in or live in a coastal community and feel
the shaking of a strong earthquake, let that be your warning because you have only
a few minutes, maybe hours if lucky, until a tsunami arrives. Once you have felt
the earthquake you should immediately move (yourself and loved ones) away from
the water and to higher ground. If you so happen to be in a place where the
surrounding area is flat, you should move inland. It is also recommended that even
if you do not feel shaking, and hear that an area has experienced a large earthquake
that could send a tsunami in your direction, you should begin preparation for high
ground as a precaution; do not wait for an official warning.
Works Cited

National Geographics Webpage:

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/naturaldisasters/tsunami-profile/
2011 Japan Tsunami Images: Google images
https://www.google.com/search?q=japan+2011+tsunami&client=firefoxa&hs=etV&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dnZAUsyVGaWtigLJ9YD
oCw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=612&dpr=1#imgdii=_
Earth the Science behind Headlines Webpage:
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/japans-megaquake-and-killer-tsunamihow-did-happen
2011 Thoku earthquake and tsunami, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_T
%C5%8Dhoku_earthquake_and_tsunami