write an essay on tsunami giving recent example

Tsunami’s Reasons and Effects Essay

Main causes of tsunami, ways to recognize the approach of a tsunami in advance, ways to reduce the risks of tsunami impacts, additional ways to predict tsunami, reference list.

For many inhabitants of the Earth, a tsunami threat looks like an abstract and very exotic danger. However, the vagaries of nature in recent years are such that it is quite difficult to feel completely protected from such a danger. Moreover, even in a small lake, under a certain confluence of circumstances, a large wave can arise. If it is about the cities located on the seashore or beside the ocean, the problem is urgent enough.

The knowledge of how to survive during a tsunami can be useful at the most unexpected moment and in almost any part of the globe. Therefore, it is essential to know how to anticipate the place and time of the occurrence of a tsunami and to determine which factors are the main in assessing the potential wave’s power and the speed at which it approaches the land.

The central and most frequent cause of tsunami occurrence is underwater earthquakes. Powerful jerks create a directional movement of huge masses of water that roll to the shore with waves more than 10 meters high and bring casualties and destruction. It is not surprising that the greatest risk of occurrence of this natural disaster exists in coastal areas with increased seismic activity. Thus, everyone knows the example of the tsunami in Japan in 2011, which led to an incredible number of human casualties and triggered an accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant (Ikehara et al. 2014).

Quite often, there is a tsunami threat in the Philippines, Indonesia, and other island states of the Pacific. The consequences of tsunamis can be very serious, and this danger should be discussed in detail since many people are exposed to it.

The first reason to take care of a tsunami threat is the announcement of increased seismic activity in the coastal area. Earthquakes are natural signals notifying about a possible runup of a tsunami. In case seismologists manage to predict earth tremors in advance, the residents of settlements on the coast should ensure their safety in order not to expose their lives to danger. According to Melgar and Bock (2015), such warnings are relevant even if the earthquake’s strength in the city is low because the epicenter can be in the sea. That is why the threat is very dangerous in coastal areas where people, as a rule, are in no way protected from such a natural disaster.

During the moments of increased tsunami threat, the authorities’ reports on radio and television should be carefully monitored. In most cases, the danger becomes known in a few hours, which gives residents the opportunity to timely react to it. As tsunami witnesses note, animals are especially sensitive to the approach of a giant wave. Long before the onset of danger, they are worried. Many wild animals and birds tend to leave the area in advance.

It is also possible to predict the approach of a tsunami in fifteen-twenty minutes judging by the changes of the coastline. At this moment, the water quickly recedes, the sound of the surf subsides, the normal regime of tides breaks. In some cases, unusual and untimely tides lasting from several minutes to half an hour can be observed. As Leonard and Bednarski (2014) note, the tsunami of 2012 in Haida Gwaii was accompanied by a drift of unusual objects: fragments of ice or, for example, coastal debris that is raised from the bottom by the movement of water. The runup of the wave is always accompanied by thundering sounds since the mass of water is very large, and at high speed, its movement creates a very perceptible noise.

Modern technologies make it possible to predict not only the power of an upcoming tsunami but also an approximate time in which it will happen. The fact is that experts from the Japanese National Research Institute of Geophysics and Natural Disaster Prevention have developed a high-tech system that predicts these natural disasters. This unique project, as Lin et al. (2014) note, enables residents of the coastal areas to escape from a tsunami within twenty minutes after the alarm. This time will be enough to completely evacuate the area that is endangered and to save all the residents. There have not been severe disasters in Japan that could be similar to that in 2011, but if one happens, people are likely to be ready.

This system has already been launched and includes dozens of different detectors installed at one hundred and fifty points on the seabed along the Pacific coast of Japan from Hokkaido to Tokyo. Information from the sensors comes through the cable directly to the Japanese meteorological office. The development and construction of the system cost the Japanese budget several hundred million dollars. Nevertheless, today, scientists and rescuers will be able to learn about the earthquakes that took place under the water about twenty minutes earlier.

According to Riquelme et al. (2015, p. 6487), the primary idea of any work related to the ways of identification tsunamis is “to provide a tool for emergency response, trading off accuracy for speed”. The creation of a new system has become a new step in the development of science. It is quite easy to imagine how many lives can be saved by possessing the information that can be acquired with the help of those useful data that come from sensors located on the seabed.

In the middle of the twentieth century, after the catastrophic earthquake in Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Service was established in the Pacific Ocean (Yeh & Mason 2014). Seismic stations record the time and place of the earthquake; if its epicenter lies under water, it is possible to expect a tsunami. In this case, all stations monitoring sea level are notified of the need to monitor the approach of big waves.

In order to calculate an approaching time, there are special maps of the duration of the tsunami run from various points to the Hawaiian Islands. The notification about the expected time of the approach of waves is transmitted via the international Pacific communication system. The headquarters of the Tsunami Warning Service (subordinate to the National Ocean Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is in Honolulu.

Thus, it is significant to find out how to anticipate the place and time of the occurrence of a tsunami. Those factors that signal an imminent threat are always important to consider. Appropriate equipment was invented after the disastrous effects of the tsunami in Japan. Earthquakes, as a rule, are the most common reasons for the emergence of large waves.

Ikehara, K, Irino, T, Usami, K, Jenkins, R, Omura, A & Ashi, J 2014, ‘Possible submarine tsunami deposits on the outer shelf of Sendai Bay, Japan resulting from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami off the Pacific coast of Tohoku’, Marine Geology , vol. 358, no. 1, pp. 120-127.

Leonard, LJ & Bednarski, JM 2014, ‘ Field survey following the 28 October 2012 Haida Gwaii tsunami ’, Pure and Applied Geophysics , vol. 171, no. 12, pp. 3467-3482.

Lin, JH, Cheng, CY, Yu, JL, Chen, YY & Chen, GY 2014, ‘Quick estimation of tsunami induced runup on coastal area’, Coastal Engineering Proceedings , vol. 1, no. 34, pp. 8-22.

Melgar, D & Bock, Y 2015, ‘Kinematic earthquake source inversion and tsunami runup prediction with regional geophysical data’, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth , vol. 120, no. 5, pp. 3324-3349.

Riquelme, S, Fuentes, M, Hayes, GP & Campos, J 2015, ‘A rapid estimation of near-field tsunami runup’, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth , vol. 120, no. 9, pp. 6487-6500.

Yeh, H & Mason, HB 2014, ‘Sediment response to tsunami loading: mechanisms and estimates’, Géotechnique , vol. 64, no. 2, pp. 131-143.

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Essay on Tsunami

Students are often asked to write an essay on Tsunami in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Tsunami

What is a tsunami.

A tsunami is a series of powerful waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water. This usually happens due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or underwater landslides.

How Does a Tsunami Form?

When the sea floor abruptly deforms, it displaces the overlying water, triggering a tsunami. The waves travel across the ocean at high speeds.

Effects of a Tsunami

Tsunamis can cause mass destruction when they hit land. They can flood cities, destroy buildings, and take lives. It’s important to have early warning systems to minimize damage.

Understanding tsunamis helps us prepare and mitigate their harmful effects.

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250 Words Essay on Tsunami

Introduction.

Tsunamis, deriving from the Japanese words ‘tsu’ meaning harbor and ‘nami’ meaning wave, are a series of powerful water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water. They are known for their destructive power and unpredictability, posing a significant threat to coastal communities.

Causes of Tsunamis

Tsunamis are typically triggered by seismic activities beneath the ocean floor. These include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. The energy released during these events displaces the overlying water column, generating waves that can travel across oceans at high speeds.

Characteristics and Impact

Unlike regular waves, tsunami waves involve the movement of the entire water column from the sea surface to the seabed. This attribute contributes to their long wavelengths and high energy, enabling them to travel vast distances. Upon reaching shallow waters, their speed decreases, causing the wave height to increase dramatically, often resulting in widespread destruction when they hit land.

Prevention and Mitigation

While tsunamis cannot be prevented, their impact can be mitigated through early warning systems, coastal zone management, and community preparedness. Technological advancements have made it possible to detect seismic activities and issue timely alerts, thereby saving lives.

Tsunamis, while a fascinating natural phenomenon, are a stark reminder of nature’s power. Understanding their causes and characteristics is crucial in developing effective mitigation strategies, thereby reducing their devastating impacts on human lives and the environment.

500 Words Essay on Tsunami

Tsunamis, often referred to as seismic sea waves, are a series of ocean waves caused by any large-scale disturbance of the sea surface. These disturbances can include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides or even meteorite impacts in the ocean. Tsunamis are not regular sea waves but energy waves, often caused by seismic activities beneath the ocean floor. Their impact on human lives and the environment can be devastating, emphasizing the importance of understanding and predicting these natural disasters.

The Mechanics of a Tsunami

Tsunamis are initiated by a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to geological activities like earthquakes. This displacement results in a vertical shift of the overlying water column, creating a series of waves that radiate outwards from the point of origin. The speed of a tsunami is determined by the depth of water, with deeper waters facilitating faster wave speeds.

In the open ocean, these waves may be just a few centimeters high, but their wavelength, or the distance between successive crests, can span hundreds of kilometers. As these waves approach coastal areas, the shallowing sea floor compresses the wave energy, causing the wave to increase dramatically in height.

Impact and Consequences

The destructive power of a tsunami comes from the massive amount of water that it can move and the consequent flooding. When a tsunami reaches the shore, it can cause immense damage to structures, erode beaches and embankments, destroy vegetation, and severely impact both terrestrial and marine life.

The human toll can be equally devastating. Tsunamis can lead to loss of life, displacement of people, and economic damage. The aftermath of a tsunami often includes public health crises, with the spread of waterborne diseases and psychological trauma among survivors.

Unfortunately, tsunamis cannot be prevented as they are triggered by natural geological processes. However, their impact can be mitigated through early warning systems, community preparedness, and intelligent coastal management.

Tsunami early warning systems, comprising seismographs and sea level monitoring stations, can provide critical minutes to hours of warning. This allows people in the path of a tsunami to seek higher ground. Community preparedness involves education about tsunami risks, evacuation routes, and drills. Intelligent coastal management can include the construction of seawalls, planting of mangroves to absorb wave energy, and zoning laws to prevent construction in high-risk areas.

Tsunamis, while a fascinating demonstration of the power of nature, are a sobering reminder of our vulnerability to natural disasters. As our understanding of these phenomena grows, so too does our ability to protect ourselves and our communities. The implementation of early warning systems, public education, and intelligent coastal management are key components in reducing the devastating impact of these ocean giants. Through continued research and community resilience, we can mitigate the effects of tsunamis and safeguard our future against these powerful sea waves.

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