Etymology and History: Soo-Tsoo

For other uses, see Tsunami (disambiguation).
A destroyed town in Sumatra after being hit by a tsunami, caused by the 2004 Indian
Ocean earthquake
A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: , lit. "harbor wave";[1]
English pronunciation: /sunmi/ soo-NAH-mee or /tsunmi/ tsoo-NAH-mee[2]), also
called a tsunami wave train,[3] and at one time incorrectly referred to as a tidal wave, is
a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water,
usually an ocean, though it can occur in large lakes. Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence
in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded.[4] Owing to the immense
volumes of water and the high energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations
of underwater nuclear devices), landslides glacier calvings[5] and other mass movements,
meteorite ocean impacts or similar impact events, and other disturbances above or below
water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.
The Greek historian Thucydides was the first to relate tsunami to submarine earthquakes,
[6][7]
but the understanding of a tsunami's nature remained slim until the 20th century and
is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and
oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as "seismic sea waves."
Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones,
can generate a storm surge, called a meteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres
above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric pressure within the
centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may resemble (though
are not) tsunamis, inundating vast areas of land
Etymology and history

The term tsunami comes from the Japanese , composed of the two kanji (tsu)
meaning "harbor" and (nami), meaning "wave". (For the plural, one can either follow
ordinary English practice and add an s, or use an invariable plural as in the Japanese.[8])
Tsunami are sometimes referred to as tidal waves. In recent years, this term has fallen out
of favor, especially in the scientific community, because tsunami actually have nothing to
do with tides. The once-popular term derives from their most common appearance, which
is that of an extraordinarily high tidal bore. Tsunami and tides both produce waves of
water that move inland, but in the case of tsunami the inland movement of water is much
greater and lasts for a longer period, giving the impression of an incredibly high tide.
Although the meanings of "tidal" include "resembling"[9] or "having the form or character
of"[10] the tides, and the term tsunami is no more accurate because tsunami are not limited
to harbours, use of the term tidal wave is discouraged by geologists and oceanographers.
There are only a few other languages that have an equivalent native word. In the Tamil
language, the word is aazhi peralai. In the Acehnese language, it is i beuna or aln
buluk[11] (Depending on the dialect. Note that in the fellow Austronesian language of
Tagalog, a major language in the Philippines, alon means "wave".) On Simeulue island,
off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia, in the Defayan language the word is
smong, while in the Sigulai language it is emong.[12]
Main article: Historic tsunami
As early as 426 B.C. the Greek historian Thucydides inquired in his book History of the
Peloponnesian War about the causes of tsunami, and was the first to argue that ocean
earthquakes must be the cause.[6][7]
The cause, in my opinion, of this phenomenon must be sought in the earthquake. At the
point where its shock has been the most violent the sea is driven back, and suddenly
recoiling with redoubled force, causes the inundation. Without an earthquake I do not see
how such an accident could happen.[13]
The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (Res Gestae 26.10.15-19) described the
typical sequence of a tsunami, including an incipient earthquake, the sudden retreat of the
sea and a following gigantic wave, after the 365 A.D. tsunami devastated Alexandria.[14]
[15]
While Japan may have the longest recorded history of tsunamis, the sheer destruction
caused by the 2004 earthquake and tsunami event mark it as the most devastating of its
kind in modern times, killing around 230,000 people. The Sumatran region is not unused
to tsunamis either, with earthquakes of varying magnitudes regularly occurring off the
coast of the island.[16]
Generation mechanisms
The principal generation mechanism (or cause) of a tsunami is the displacement of a
substantial volume of water or perturbation of the sea.[17] This displacement of water is
usually attributed to either earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions,glacier calvings or
more rarely by meteorites and nuclear tests.[18][19] The waves formed in this way are then
sustained by gravity. Tides do not play any part in the generation of tsunamis.
Characteristics
Tsunamis cause damage by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water
travelling at high speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off
the land and carrying all with it, even if the wave did not look large.
While everyday wind waves have a wavelength (from crest to crest) of about 100 metres
(330 ft) and a height of roughly 2 metres (6.6 ft), a tsunami in the deep ocean has a
wavelength of about 200 kilometres (120 mi). Such a wave travels at well over
800 kilometres per hour (500 mph), but owing to the enormous wavelength the wave
oscillation at any given point takes 20 or 30 minutes to complete a cycle and has an
amplitude of only about 1 metre (3.3 ft).[22] This makes tsunamis difficult to detect over
deep water. Ships rarely notice their passage.
As the tsunami approaches the coast and the waters become shallow, wave shoaling
compresses the wave and its velocity slows below 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph). Its
wavelength diminishes to less than 20 kilometres (12 mi) and its amplitude grows
enormously. Since the wave still has the same very long period, the tsunami may take
minutes to reach full height. Except for the very largest tsunamis, the approaching wave
does not break, but rather appears like a fast-moving tidal bore.[23] Open bays and
coastlines adjacent to very deep water may shape the tsunami further into a step-like
wave with a steep-breaking front.
When the tsunami's wave peak reaches the shore, the resulting temporary rise in sea level
is termed run up. Run up is measured in metres above a reference sea level.[23] A large
tsunami may feature multiple waves arriving over a period of hours, with significant time
between the wave crests. The first wave to reach the shore may not have the highest run
up.[24]
About 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, but they are possible wherever there
are large bodies of water, including lakes. They are caused by earthquakes, landslides,
volcanic explosions glacier calvings, and bolides.
Warnings and predictions

Drawbacks can serve as a brief warning. People who observe drawback (many survivors
report an accompanying sucking sound), can survive only if they immediately run for
high ground or seek the upper floors of nearby buildings. In 2004, ten-year old Tilly
Smith of Surrey, England, was on Maikhao beach in Phuket, Thailand with her parents
and sister, and having learned about tsunamis recently in school, told her family that a
tsunami might be imminent. Her parents warned others minutes before the wave arrived,
saving dozens of lives. She credited her geography teacher, Andrew Kearney.
In the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami drawback was not reported on the African coast or any
other eastern coasts it reached. This was because the wave moved downwards on the
eastern side of the fault line and upwards on the western side. The western pulse hit
coastal Africa and other western areas.
Mitigation
In some tsunami-prone countries earthquake engineering measures have been taken to
reduce the damage caused onshore. Japan, where tsunami science and response measures
first began following a disaster in 1896, has produced ever-more elaborate
countermeasures and response plans.[33] That country has built many tsunami walls of up
to 4.5 metres (15 ft) to protect populated coastal areas. Other localities have built
floodgates and channels to redirect the water from incoming tsunami. However, their
effectiveness has been questioned, as tsunami often overtop the barriers. For instance, the
Okushiri, Hokkaid tsunami which struck Okushiri Island of Hokkaid within two to five
minutes of the earthquake on July 12, 1993 created waves as much as 30 metres (100 ft)
tallas high as a 10-story building. The port town of Aonae was completely surrounded
by a tsunami wall, but the waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the woodframed structures in the area. The wall may have succeeded in slowing down and
moderating the height of the tsunami, but it did not prevent major destruction and loss of
life.[34]

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For other uses, see Tsunami (disambiguation).

Etymology and history

Warnings and predictions

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