Tsunamis

What is a tsunami ?
A tsunami is a very long ocean wave
generated by sudden displacement of the
sea floor or of the oceanic mass


The displacement of an equivalent volume
of water generates the tsunami
Terminology
The term tsunami is a Japanese word
meaning harbour wave

It was so named because the wave is
harmless until it enters a harbour

It is frequently called a tidal wave, but
it has nothing to do with tides
Hazards and risks of tsunamis
Tsunamis can hit with little or no warning

4,000 people have been killed between
1990 and 2000

The most prone areas are those
associated with earthquakes and
volcanoes (mainly subduction zones)
1990-2000
26 December 2004:
million fatalities
Locally-generated tsunamis
The subduction zone of
Cascadia has potential
for very large offshore
quakes (M 8)

There is a great danger
of locally-generated
tsunamis here, since
they travel so fast

Many large cities are
found on the coast
Structure of a wave
Wavelength, , can exceed 200 km

normal ocean waves have wavelengths of about
100 m

trough; peak; wave height, h; amplitude
From Murck et al. (1996)
Velocities in deep water
Tsunamis travel very quickly relative to
normal ocean waves

This is particularly the case in open water,
where velocities increase with water depth

Velocities can reach 1,000 km/hr in
open ocean (normal ocean wave: ~90
km/hr)

Thus, velocities are about 10 times
higher for tsunamis
Shallow water
In shallow water, the tsunami waves pile
up

As a result, velocities and wavelengths
decrease...

but at the same time, amplitudes can
increase enormously...
Amplitudes
In deep water, wave amplitudes are
generally less than 1 meter


but in shallow water, amplitudes can
reach 40 meters or more above normal
sea level
Arrival of a tsunami on a coast
The wave will break when its height
exceeds ~one seventh (1/7) of its
wavelength

so some very long waves actually may
not break

initially, there may be a rise or fall
(drawdown) in sea level (which may
attract people, to their great misfortune)
Long wavelengths
and the coast
Due to its long wavelength, it may take a
long time for a tsunami wave to crest

The wave then may remain high for
several minutes

And it may take a while (hours) for the
crests of successive waves to reach the
shoreso dont go surfing !
Wave runup - complicated
This depends on
several factors:

water depth

sea floor profile

shape of coastline
(focussing of
energy, tsunamis
travelling up
rivers
An example of wave focussing at
Krakatau, 1883
Causes of tsunamis - all involve
displacement of water
Earthquakes

Volcanic activity

Landslides

Meteorite impacts
Earthquakes
Mainly vertical crustal movements

so strike-slip faults perhaps less
hazardous

...although these too can trigger mass
movements such as landslides
Damage due to tsunami
Waves often full of debris (trees, cars,
pieces of wood etc.)
As the wave recedes, the debris drags
more stuff with it
Can recede as much as a km out to see,
leaving shoreline empty with flopping fish,
boats, etc. on the bottom
Detecting a tsunami
Pressure recorder on bottom of ocean
Buoy to communicate readings via
satellite
Tsunami Warning Centers issue
warning

Tsunami Warning Centers
Hawaii and Alaska
When EQ considered capable of generating
tsunami, send warning with estimated
arrival time
Once tsunami hits
somewhere, tsunami
watch established to
monitor tide gauges and
ocean buoys
Tsunami Warning
When warning is issued low lying areas
are evacuated
U.S. Coast guard issues warnings over
marine frequencies
Some places have sirens
Response to tsunami
Requires good emergency planning and
preparation

an educated and trained public

which has access to information

so the dissemination of this info needs
to be efficient and reliable


Personal mitigation
Run (dont walk) to higher ground

Tell your family and friends

Never go to the beach to watch tsunamis
The End