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    Tsunamis: These Destructive Surges of Water Are Caused by Underwater Earthquakes

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    Faza
    Tsunamis are a series of large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides that displace large volumes of water. They can travel across the ocean at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and grow dramatically in height as they reach shore, sometimes exceeding 100 feet tall. When they hit land, tsunamis have tremendous destructive power as the heavy waves inundate coastal areas, destroying communities and dragging debris back out to sea. Early warning systems aim to detect tsunamis quickly and allow people to evacuate vulnerable coastal regions before the giant waves arrive.

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    Tsunamis: These Destructive Surges of Water Are Caused by Underwater Earthquakes

    Uploaded by

    Faza
    44 views2 pages
    Tsunamis are a series of large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides that displace large volumes of water. They can travel across the ocean at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and grow dramatically in height as they reach shore, sometimes exceeding 100 feet tall. When they hit land, tsunamis have tremendous destructive power as the heavy waves inundate coastal areas, destroying communities and dragging debris back out to sea. Early warning systems aim to detect tsunamis quickly and allow people to evacuate vulnerable coastal regions before the giant waves arrive.

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    Tsunamis

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    Tsunamis are a series of large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides that displace large volumes of water. They can travel across the ocean at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and grow dramatically in height as they reach shore, sometimes exceeding 100 feet tall. When they hit land, tsunamis have tremendous destructive power as the heavy waves inundate coastal areas, destroying communities and dragging debris back out to sea. Early warning systems aim to detect tsunamis quickly and allow people to evacuate vulnerable coastal regions before the giant waves arrive.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    44 views2 pages

    Tsunamis: These Destructive Surges of Water Are Caused by Underwater Earthquakes

    Uploaded by

    Faza
    Tsunamis are a series of large ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or landslides that displace large volumes of water. They can travel across the ocean at speeds up to 500 miles per hour and grow dramatically in height as they reach shore, sometimes exceeding 100 feet tall. When they hit land, tsunamis have tremendous destructive power as the heavy waves inundate coastal areas, destroying communities and dragging debris back out to sea. Early warning systems aim to detect tsunamis quickly and allow people to evacuate vulnerable coastal regions before the giant waves arrive.

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    Tsunamis

    THESE DESTRUCTIVE SURGES OF WATER ARE


    CAUSED BY UNDERWATER EARTHQUAKES.
    More than 1,500 people died in Rikuzentakata, one of several towns
    eradicated by a tsunami that hit Japan.
    A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes
    reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. These walls of water
    can cause widespread destruction when they crash ashore.

    WH AT C AUSES A TSUNAM I?
    These awe-inspiring waves are typically caused by large,
    undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries. When the ocean floor at a plate
    boundary rises or falls suddenly, it displaces the water above it and launches the
    rolling waves that will become a tsunami.
    Most tsunamis–about 80 percent–happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,”
    a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes
    common.
    Tsunamis may also be caused by underwater landslides or volcanic
    eruptions. They may even be launched, as they frequently were in Earth’s ancient
    past, by the impact of a large meteorite plunging into an ocean.
    Tsunamis race across the sea at up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) an hour—about
    as fast as a jet airplane. At that pace, they can cross the entire expanse of the
    Pacific Ocean in less than a day. And their long wavelengths mean they lose very
    little energy along the way.
    In deep ocean, tsunami waves may appear only a foot or so high. But as
    they approach shoreline and enter shallower water they slow down and begin to
    grow in energy and height. The tops of the waves move faster than their bottoms
    do, which causes them to rise precipitously.
    WH AT H APPENS WHEN IT HITS LAN D

    A tsunami’s trough, the low point beneath the wave’s crest, often reaches
    shore first. When it does, it produces a vacuum effect that sucks coastal water
    seaward and exposes harbor and sea floors. This retreating of sea water is an
    important warning sign of a tsunami, because the wave’s crest and its enormous
    volume of water typically hit shore five minutes or so later. Recognizing this
    phenomenon can save lives.
    A tsunami is usually composed of a series of waves, called a wave train, so
    its destructive force may be compounded as successive waves reach shore.
    People experiencing a tsunami should remember that the danger may not have
    passed with the first wave and should await official word that it is safe to return to
    vulnerable locations.
    Tsunamis are giant, powerful waves most often caused by earthquakes
    beneath the ocean floor. Their incredible power can destroy entire communities, then
    drag the debris out to sea. This video shows what causes tsunamis and the
    importance of evacuating any area under a tsunami alert. Some tsunamis do not
    appear on shore as massive breaking waves but instead resemble a quickly
    surging tide that inundates coastal areas. The best defense against any tsunami is
    early warning that allows people to seek higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami
    Warning System, a coalition of 26 nations headquartered in Hawaii, maintains a
    web of seismic equipment and water level gauges to identify tsunamis at sea.
    Similar systems are proposed to protect coastal areas worldwide.

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