Teletsunami
Encyclopedia
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that originates from a distant source, which is more than 1,000 km away from the area of interest (or more than three hours of travel time from its source). A teletsunami can travel across an entire ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
. All teletsunamis have been generated by major earthquakes, such as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
, 1960 Valdivia earthquake, 1964 Alaska earthquake, and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
.
Overview
Teletsunamis can be generated several different ways, the most common of which is through seismic activity. A teletsunami can be generated by a large earthquakeEarthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
with a moment magnitude higher than 7.5. More specifically, vertical displacement with a thrust-type earthquake is more likely to produce a teletsunami than an earthquake from a lateral strike-slip fault, such as San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
.
Because of this, subduction
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...
zones, which occur when a dense oceanic crust
Oceanic crust
Oceanic crust is the part of Earth's lithosphere that surfaces in the ocean basins. Oceanic crust is primarily composed of mafic rocks, or sima, which is rich in iron and magnesium...
burrows underneath less-dense continental crust
Continental crust
The continental crust is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks which form the continents and the areas of shallow seabed close to their shores, known as continental shelves. This layer is sometimes called sial due to more felsic, or granitic, bulk composition, which lies in...
, are more likely to produce a teletsunami. The Pacific coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
is a prime example of a subduction
Subduction
In geology, subduction is the process that takes place at convergent boundaries by which one tectonic plate moves under another tectonic plate, sinking into the Earth's mantle, as the plates converge. These 3D regions of mantle downwellings are known as "Subduction Zones"...
zone. The Cascadia subduction zone
Cascadia subduction zone
The Cascadia subduction zone is a subduction zone, a type of convergent plate boundary that stretches from northern Vancouver Island to northern California. It is a very long sloping fault that separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates.New ocean floor is being created offshore of...
, off the coasts of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
is an area of concern for possible tsunami generation. The Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
coast of Alaska are also capable of producing very large offshore earthquakes that may produce large tsunamis. The 1964 tsunami, discussed later in detail, was generated by a large earthquake offshore Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Natural precursors that may indicate the approach of a teletsunami include a drawback, or a large withdrawal of the ocean usually well below low tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
. While it may not always occur, the presence of a retreating surf is a sign of impending danger.
Characteristics
The general characteristics of teletsunamis are similar to local tsunamis. The interval between waves can range from 5 to 60 minutes, although it usually falls between 10 and 30 minutes. The speed at which the teletsunami travels is dependent on the depth of the water. On average, tsunamis in the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
travel at about 480 miles/hour; however, due to the depth of the ocean, the height may only be a few feet. This weak wave height, along with the extreme breadth of the distance from the wave's peak to its trough, which spans approximately between 50 and 150 miles, makes vessels in open water unaware of a tsunami passing. In shallow water, scuba divers caught in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami were reportedly tossed about under the water, yet those in the boat floating above them were unaffected, failing to notice the wave as it passed by.
Teletsunamis generally consist of a series of waves
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
, rather than a singular wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
. The number of waves can vary, but data have shown that there are usually between two and ten waves. Further, the first wave is typically not the largest one. For example, during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the second wave was regarded as the largest one, and in the 1964 Alaska tsunami, it was the fourth wave that proved most destructive in Crescent City, California
Crescent City, California
Crescent City is the county seat and only incorporated city in Del Norte County, California. Named for the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach south of the city, Crescent City had a total population of 7,643 in the 2010 census, up from 4,006 in the 2000 census...
. This can sometime pose a serious problem, as the retreat of the first wave may falsely imply that the tsunami has "finished", which can lead people to return to the beach out of curiosity, only to be swept away by the next incoming wave. The period between waves can also vary, but generally falls between 5 and 60 minutes. This is always a major cause of concern for public safety officials responding to a tsunami.
Coastal water usually recedes before the first tsunami strikes, and many witnesses have reported that the abnormal ocean activity, a wall of water, and approaching teletsunami waves create a loud roaring sound similar to that of a train or jet aircraft.
Tsunami watches and warnings
Although teletsunamis are usually generated by a large earthquake, many of the areas affected are too far from the epicenter to feel it (thus the usage of the prefix tele-, or "distant"). Teletsunamis are also virtually undetectable to the human eye until they approach the shorelineShore
A shore or shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In Physical Oceanography a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past and present, while the beach is at the edge of the shore,...
. In this regard, several scientific instruments have been developed to establish a tsunami warning system
Tsunami warning system
A Tsunami warning system is used to detect tsunamis in advance and issue warnings to prevent loss of life and damage. It consists of two equally important components: a network of sensors to detect tsunamis and a communications infrastructure to issue timely alarms to permit evacuation of coastal...
, which is intended to provide sufficient forewarning of an approaching teletsunami for emergency preparations and evacuations to be initiated.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of the Pacific issuing...
(PTWC) in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
provides warnings for Pacific–based teletsunamis to almost every country around the Pacific and to most of the Pacific island states. A few destructive teletsunamis are generated each century by great earthquakes around the Pacific Rim
Pacific Rim
The Pacific Rim refers to places around the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The term "Pacific Basin" includes the Pacific Rim and islands in the Pacific Ocean...
. Such tsunami can propagate across the entire Pacific in less than 24 hours, and cause widespread destruction along shorelines located thousands of miles from the source. With ever-increasing population and development along most coastlines, there is a corresponding increase in risk. The last destructive Pacific teletsunami was generated by the 2004 earthquake near the Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
coast.
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Palmer, Alaska, the WCATWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of all coastal...
(WCATWC) in Palmer, Alaska
Palmer, Alaska
Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the state of Alaska, USA. It is part of the Anchorage Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city is 5,937....
watches for teletsunamis approaching the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
of the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The above mentioned PTWC will not issue watches or warnings for the west coast unless this warning system in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
fails. This is to prevent confusion, as two different warning centers issuing two separate messages can oftentimes contradict one another.
There are several guidelines set by the WCATWC for issuing watches and warnings.
- A watch is first issued if the arrival time for a potential teletsunami is more than 2 hours from the time of the warning. In this case, there would be enough time to verify the existence or nonexistence of a tsunami by way of NOAA buoys before a warning or cancellation message was issued.
- Either a watch or warning is immediately issued if a magnitude 7.5 or greater earthquake occurs anywhere in the Pacific Rim, depending on circumstances.
- A warning is issued if the potentially resulting tsunami would arrive onshore within 2 hours of the warning.
For example, if an 8.0 earthquake occurs in the Aleutian Islands, West Coast states such as Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
would receive a tsunami watch first; if there was verification of a tsunami, a warning would follow. If there is no wave observed, a cancellation message would follow before a warning was issued. However, if an 8.0 earthquake were to occur off of the West Coast of the United States, a warning without verification of a tsunami will be issued. This is due to the fact that there would not be enough time to first verify a wave and then order and conduct an evacuation of vulnerable areas.
Historical documentations
Based on recorded historyRecorded history
Recorded history is the period in history of the world after prehistory. It has been written down using language, or recorded using other means of communication. It starts around the 4th millennium BC, with the invention of writing.-Historical accounts:...
, destructive teletsunamis have occurred once or twice a century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
, making teletsunamis very rare and infrequent events. Whereas there are lots of data pertaining to hundreds of devastating natural disasters, there is only a handful of data for teletsunamis. Large tsunami events in 1868, 1946, 1960, 1964, 1995, and 2004 have provided adequate amounts of data for more accurate analysis.
One of the oldest teletsunamis was reported in November 1755, when a major earthquake known as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake
1755 Lisbon earthquake
The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that took place on Saturday 1 November 1755, at around 9:40 in the morning. The earthquake was followed by fires and a tsunami, which almost totally destroyed Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal, and...
resulted in a teletsunami, which resulted in near-total destruction of Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
in the Kingdom of Portugal
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal was Portugal's general designation under the monarchy. The kingdom was located in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, Europe and existed from 1139 to 1910...
. The teletsunami crossed the Atlantic and was noticed throughout the eastern Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
from Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
to Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
and as far west as Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. This earthquake is commonly referred to as the Great Lisbon Earthquake. The amplitude
Amplitude
Amplitude is the magnitude of change in the oscillating variable with each oscillation within an oscillating system. For example, sound waves in air are oscillations in atmospheric pressure and their amplitudes are proportional to the change in pressure during one oscillation...
of the tsunami in all islands was about 2–3 meters and waves continued to arrive for many hours. No damage or casualties were reported. European sources also reported that the Azores fracture zone generated a second teletsunami in March 1761, but no local confirmed observations were made in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
The most recent destructive teletsunami occurred in 2004 and was caused by a powerful undersea megathrust earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
off the northern coast of the Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It caused nearly 300,000 deaths in several countries along the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
.
1946: Hawaii
In 1946, following a large earthquake in the Aleutian Islands, a teletsunami that originated in AlaskaAlaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
devastated Hilo, Hawaii. 30 foot waves were observed in Hilo, and at least 170 people were killed. There was no warning issued for this event, and as a result of raising concern, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system program and serves as the operational center for TWS of the Pacific issuing...
(PTWC) was founded in Ewa Beach, HI. This 1946 teletsunami event was also observed in California, but no casualties were reported and damage was minimal (almost exclusively to personal vessels in the harbors).
1960: Hawaii
In 1960, a teletsunami generated near the coast of ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
again devastated Hilo. It was originated by the largest earthquake ever recorded, an earthquake with magnitude 9.6 that struck offshore Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. This time, the warning was accurate in predicting arrival time, but unable to provide sufficient time for majority of Hilo residents to evacuate. 61 lives were lost as a result. With greater magnitude
Richter magnitude scale
The expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
at origin, the teletsunami brought 35 foot waves to harbors in Hilo. This 1960 teletsunami also reached the West Coast of the United States.
1964: Alaska
In 1964, a large tsunami that originated as a result of the 9.2 earthquake from the Gulf of AlaskaGulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
was the first teletsunami to largely affect the U.S. West Coast in recent decades. California observed 20–25 foot waves and some region sustained heavy damages from flooding, resulting in total loss of 11 lives. Other regions such as Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Washington, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
were also impacted by the teletsunami to varying degrees. The California report indicates that it was the fourth wave which caused the most damage, emphasizing that the first wave of the teletsunami may not be the only wave, or even the largest.
1995: Manzanillo, Mexico
This teletsunami was generated by the 8.0 earthquake which occurred offshore of JaliscoJalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
and Colima
Colima
Colima is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima....
, the Pacific coast of Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The earthquake itself was accountable for approximately 40 lost lives as a result of extensive inland damage. The tsunami generated quickly reached the west coast of the United States and affected 200 km of coastline. Some flat regions experienced floods as far inland as 200 meters. A large recession of the ocean followed by a large incoming wave was also observed. Several ports sustained heavy damage and extensive beach erosion was observed. This teletsunami event is notable as it occurred as a result of a large, yet smaller-than-usual earthquake for tsunami generation.
2004: Indian Ocean
Causing approximately 300,000 fatalities in total, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is by far the world’s most destructive teletsunami. The majority of the damage and fatalities were reported in IndonesiaIndonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. The teletsunami generated by the 9.0 earthquake off the northern coast of the Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
also heavily impacted Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The fact that this tsunami incident is recognized as the world’s first major tsunami event since 1964 (after a period of relatively high tsunami frequency from 1850–1975), brought an impression to the world that the hazard "skipped a generation." For the first time, there was a lot of video evidence of the teletsunami filmed at many locations. This visual evidence of the tsunami helped many scientists and emergency planners solve more mechanisms of inundation and run-up characteristics of teletsunamis.
Although this event is considered to be a horrendous and tragic event, the consequences of 2004 tsunami provoked a much-needed public awareness and preparedness against future tsunami incidents.
See also
- Historic tsunami
- Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of TsunamisDeep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of TsunamisThe Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis system is a component of an enhanced tsunami warning system.- Stations :...
(DART) - MegatsunamiMegatsunamiMegatsunami is an informal term to describe a tsunami that has initial wave heights that are much larger than normal tsunamis...
- MeteotsunamiMeteotsunamiA meteotsunami or meteorological tsunami is a tsunami-like wave phenomenon of meteorological origin. Tsunamis and meteotsunamis propagate in the water in the same way and have the same coastal dynamics. In other words, for an observer on the coast where it strikes the two types would look the same....
- Megathrust earthquakeMegathrust earthquakeMegathrust earthquakes occur at subduction zones at destructive plate boundaries , where one tectonic plate is forced under another. Due to the shallow dip of the plate boundary, which causes large sections to get stuck, these earthquakes are among the world's largest, with moment magnitudes ...
- Submarine earthquakeSubmarine earthquakeA submarine, undersea, or underwater earthquake is an earthquake that occurs underwater at the bottom of a body of water, especially an ocean. They are the leading cause of tsunamis...
- Cumbre ViejaCumbre ViejaCumbre Vieja is an active volcanic ridge on the volcanic ocean island of Isla de La Palma in the Canary Islands.This ridge trends in an approximate north-south direction and covers the southern third of the island. It is lined by several volcanic craters....
(hypothetical future tsunami)
External links
- IOC Tsunami Glossary by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionIntergovernmental Oceanographic CommissionThe Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission was established by resolution 2.31 adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO. It first met in Paris at Unesco Headquarters from 19 to 27 October 1961. Initially, 40 States became members of the Commission.The IOC is composed of its Member States ,...
(IOC) at the International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) of UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations... - Tsunami Terminology at NOAA