8.5 Tsunamis
Tsunamis
A tsunami, or tidal wave, is a series of gigantic ocean waves caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, or even asteroid impacts. The word “tsunami” is derived from Japanese, meaning “Harbor Wave”. They can travel extremely fast (up to 500 mph in the open ocean!!), and their waves can be about 100 feet high when they reach the shore. While tsunamis travel very quickly from their starting point in the middle of the ocean, it is not until they get close to shore that they become dangerous.
The world’s largest recorded tsunami had a wave height of 1,720 feet which is beyond imagination! This tsunami occurred back in 1958 in Alaska. Surprisingly, only 5 people died from this event. The deadliest tsunami sadly occurred relatively recently in 2004 following a significant earthquake (9.1-9.3) in the Indian Ocean. This catastrophe was called the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and at least 277,898 have been killed.
Learn about how tsunamis form and what to do about them in these two useful videos below!
Although you know by now that tsunamis can be devastating, the threat of these hazards is closely monitored by an Early Warning System.
Go to This Website, and examine some of its features. In particular, read AT LEAST TEN of the Tsunami Messages below the map displayed at the top.
