Tsunami

Abstract

Gonzales , Frank I (1999 ) Tsunami ! [Electronic Version] . Scientific American 280 (5

The article explained the overwhelming first moments of the Papua New Guinea tsunami of 1998 . How it started and the first moments when people realized what was happening , as well as some of the reactions . There is also a very detailed from one of the survivors of how he felt and what he witnessed . Then the author proceeds to give some history on the world 's most powerful tsunamis and their pattern , and how many lives have they taken

, according to a database from National Geological Data Center in Colorado . Later on the article , the author makes a comparison between the Papua New Guinea and Nicaragua tsunamis with some of the Hawaii and Alaska tsunamis , and how even thought researchers believe the United States Coast was safe from tsunamis there is new evidence suggesting an earthquake will create a major tsunami in the Pacific Coast . The article also mentions the 1992 earthquake in California , where researchers decided to develop a system to be able to prepare the population from tsunamis before they hit

Tsunamis

Tsunamis are waves that travel in the ocean , created by conflict linked with earthquakes on the ocean floor or underwater volcanic eruptions Tsunami effects can from discreet and almost unnoticeable to devastating and overwhelming . Every region surrounded by sea can experience a tsunami at any moment , but they are most common in the Pacific Ocean because of all the earthquakes that start in the area (Spencer , 2005

Physics of tsunamis

According to the article by Gonzales (1999 ) published in the Scientific American magazine , Tsunamis develop through three physical processes generation by any force that disturbs the water column , propagation from deeper water near the source to shallow coastal areas and , finally inundation of dry land . Generation is the process by which a seafloor disturbance , such as movement along a fault , reshapes the sea surface into a tsunami . Propagation of the tsunamis transports seismic energy away from the earthquake site through undulations of the water , just as shaking moves the energy through the earth . The last stage of evolution inundation and run-up , in which a tsunami may run ashore as a breaking wave , a wall of water or a tide like flood . Vertical run-up can reach tens of meters , but it typically takes only two to three meters to cause damage . Horizontal stream can penetrate hundreds of meters inland

Tsunami waves have been known to travel hundreds of miles . As the waves travel a distance , causing a deadly ending when the waves reach the coastline . The speed of these waves can to surpass an actual airplane Tsunami waves can reach speeds of 1 ,160 to 1 ,280 MPH (miles per hour This can rarely be detected because the waves are normally no bigger then a few feet . As the waves progress towards the coastal region , the speed of the wave begins to die down as the height begins to increase While in motion towards...