Tsunami Essay

Tsunami

Tsunami has been a vital source of destruction, due to natural disaster, which has resulted into thousands of peoples deaths and property destructions. There are ways that we can predict the disaster sooner. We can also implement measures to recover faster from the destruction.

A Tsunami starts as a group of large ocean waves caused by sudden movements deep in the ocean floor. This causes the waves to merge into one giant wave called tsunami as it gets closer to the shore. If you were to witness a tsunami yourself you would see a huge wall of water crashing towards you. Tsunami waves can grow up to more than 100 feet high, and cant travel at speeds up to 600 miles per hour across the ocean.

A tsunami is caused after an earthquake occurs. They are also called seismic sea waves, and are very strong. Most tsunamis occur in the pacific ocean. This is because many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen in the pacific region. Most earthquakes occur where tectonic plates meet. Because of this the region has been nicknamed the ring of fire because of the large circle of underwater volcanoes.

Currently Japan was stroked by a 8.9 earthquakes which caused a tsunami of 30 feet high. This caused a huge disaster that killed thousands of people and hundreds missing. Based on the history the biggest tsunami was in 1883 which was caused by a volcanic eruption on Krakatoa in the south pacific. This enormous wave was as high as 115 feet, sadly more than 36,000 people drowned.

Tsunamis don't always occur because of earthquakes, they can also happen by landslides. This happens when huge rocks or large chunks of land slide into the ocean. One occurred in Alaska in 1958 when a earthquake created a landslide that poured into Alaska's Lituya Bay. The landslide created a tsunami that pushed across the bay and crashed high onto the shore.

The earthquakes that strike Alaska are some of the strongest earthquakes on earth. The state also is surrounded by water on the tree sides. The combination can make for huge and deadly tsunamis.

The wavelength of a tsunami is very different from that of other waves, such as tidal waves. Most ocean waves have a wavelength ranging from 30 to 60 feet. The waves in a tsunami can be as far apart as 300 miles. A 300 mile wavelength is a definite sign of a tsunami.

As the tsunami gets closer to the shore, the wavelengths shorten. They get shorter until all of the waves merge to form one giant tsunami wave. A tsunami