Tsunami

By Will and Ryan

What causes tsunamis?Tsunamis are caused by large underwater earthquakes or volcanoes. When the earth’s tectonic plates collide, they cause earthquakes or volcanoes that send massive waves through the ocean.

Where do tsunamis occur?Tsunamis occur in most frequently in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, however they can actually occur in any ocean in the world.

The orange indicates a high risk of Tsunamis

Why are tsunamis so dangerous?Tsunamis are dangerous because they are very hard to predict and they do not grow in size until they reach shallow water so you can’t actually see them until they are very close to land. When hitting land, the waves can reach 100 feet.

“The earthquake that generated the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 is estimated to have released the energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).”-National Geographic News

How often do tsunamis occur?

Very dangerous Tsunamis historically happen 2 times per decade.

However, in the last decade, we have seen two deadly Tsunamis:

-- The Pacific Ocean Tsunami near Japan in March of 2011-- The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 killed 200,000 people in 14 different countries.

Is there a scale for tsunamis?Yes. The Richter Scale is used to rate Tsunamis.

Although the Richter Scale is used primarily for earthquakes, tsunamis are made by earthquakes.

Can asteroids, meteorites or man-made explosions cause tsunamis?

If they are big enough they can but this is very rare .

How can I prepare for a tsunami?

If you live in a area near the ocean and you hear or feel an earthquake, you should not wait for and a official call you should move to high ground or go inland.

For more information about Tsunamis, click here to watch a good video from National Geographic.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/environment/environment-natural-disasters/tsunamis/tsunami-101/

Sites

• http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tsunami/resource/31103.html#5

• http://geography.about.com/od/physicalgeography/a/tsunami.htm

• http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html

• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/earth/tsunamis.html

Tsunamis

The End

By Ryan A. and Will R.