cause effect essay on tsunami

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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Bibliography

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Essay on Tsunami for Students and Children

500+ words essay on tsunami.

Tsunami is a phenomenon where a series of strong waves that are responsible for the surge in water sometimes reach the heights in many meters. This is a natural disaster that is caused due to the volcano eruption in the ocean beds. Also, a phenomenon like landslides and earthquakes contributes to reasons for a tsunami. Like other natural disasters, the impact of the tsunami is also huge. It has been seen throughout history how disastrous the tsunami is. The essay on tsunami talks about various factors that contribute to the tsunami and the damage it causes to mankind. 

Essay on Tsunami

The disaster that is caused due to waves generated in the ocean because of the earthquake and whose main point is under the water is known as ‘Tsunami’. Also, the term tsunami is associated with tidal waves. Thus, a tsunami is also called as the series of ocean waves that have a very long wavelength. Because of the tsunami, there are strong waves of water is formed and this moves landwards. So, this causes inland movement of water which is very high and lasts for a long time. Thus, the impact of these waves is also very high. 

Greeks were the first people on Earth to claim the effects of the tsunami. They claim that tsunami is just like land earthquakes. Also, the only difference between tsunami and earthquake is that tsunami is caused in oceans. Thus, the scale and ferocity of the tsunami are almost impossible to control. 

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The History of Tsunami

The highest ever recorded tsunami was on 9th July 1958 in the record books. It took place in a bay which was located in the ligula bay along the coasts of Alaska. After the quake, a massive mass of rock fell into the bay waters from the cliff nearby. Thus, this created an impact and produced a wave that reached a height of 524 meters. Also, this is regarded as one of the highest recorded tsunami waves ever. 

The destructive waves responsible for the occurrence of tsunami is also produced in waters of bays or lakes. As this water approached the coast, it grows larger. However, the size of this wave is very low in deep-sea areas. Tsunami waves that are generated in the lakes or bays do not travel for a long distance. Thus, they are not as destructive as the ones produced in the ocean waters. There are various directions in which tsunami can travel from the main point. 

One similar devastating tsunami was experienced in India in 2004. However, the origin of this tsunami was located near Indonesia. Because of the tsunami, it was expected that a total of 2 lakh people lost their lives. The waves traveled extensively thousands of kilometers in countries like Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. 

Tsunamis occur mainly in the Pacific Ocean. There are very chances that they take place in the area where there are larger bodies. Coastlines and open bays next to very deep waters may help tsunami further into a step-like wave. 

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These destructive surges of water are caused by underwater earthquakes.

A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. These walls of water can cause widespread destruction when they crash ashore.

What Causes a Tsunami?

These awe-inspiring waves are typically caused by large, undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries . When the ocean floor at a plate boundary rises or falls suddenly, it displaces the water above it and launches the rolling waves that will become a tsunami.

Most tsunamis–about 80 percent–happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.

Tsunamis may also be caused by underwater landslides or volcanic eruptions. They may even be launched, as they frequently were in Earth’s ancient past, by the impact of a large meteorite plunging into an ocean.

Tsunamis race across the sea at up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) an hour—about as fast as a jet airplane. At that pace, they can cross the entire expanse of the Pacific Ocean in less than a day. And their long wavelengths mean they lose very little energy along the way.

More than 1,500 people died in Rikuzentakata, one of several towns eradicated by a tsunami that hit Japan.

In deep ocean, tsunami waves may appear only a foot or so high. But as they approach shoreline and enter shallower water they slow down and begin to grow in energy and height. The tops of the waves move faster than their bottoms do, which causes them to rise precipitously.

What Happens When It Hits Land

A tsunami’s trough, the low point beneath the wave’s crest, often reaches shore first. When it does, it produces a vacuum effect that sucks coastal water seaward and exposes harbor and sea floors. This retreating of sea water is an important warning sign of a tsunami, because the wave’s crest and its enormous volume of water typically hit shore five minutes or so later. Recognizing this phenomenon can save lives .

A tsunami is usually composed of a series of waves, called a wave train, so its destructive force may be compounded as successive waves reach shore. People experiencing a tsunami should remember that the danger may not have passed with the first wave and should await official word that it is safe to return to vulnerable locations.

Some tsunamis do not appear on shore as massive breaking waves but instead resemble a quickly surging tide that inundates coastal areas.

The best defense against any tsunami is early warning that allows people to seek higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, a coalition of 26 nations headquartered in Hawaii, maintains a web of seismic equipment and water level gauges to identify tsunamis at sea. Similar systems are proposed to protect coastal areas worldwide.

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Cause & Effect Essay: Tsunamis

The movie “The Impossible” starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts documents an event that was rare, tragic, devastating – but far from impossible. The movie is a dramatization of a real event that shocked the entire world. In 2004, fourteen countries were effected by a powerful natural event that launched a 98 foot tidal wave and killed 230, 000 people. Countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Indonesia were devastated. But what was this powerful natural event? A tsunami. And not just any tsunami, but the worst single tsunami in recorded history.

Tsunamis, or “seismic sea waves”, as they are sometimes called, can be devastating. But what causes these extreme weather phenomena? And how do they affect the world? Tsunamis can be caused by landslides or volcanic eruptions that occur on the ocean floor. Rarely, they can be triggered by large meteorite impacts. But most tsunamis are caused by an earthquake. Luckily, not all earthquakes cause tsunamis. They must be large earthquakes that occur under or near the ocean, and create movement under the sea floor.

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Earthquakes themselves are caused by the meeting of the earth’s tectonic plates along ‘faults’ or ‘fault lines’. When these earthquakes occur at a submarine level, the vibrations cause the ocean water to ripple and move. And the bigger the earthquake.. the larger the results.

A tsunami is, in essence, an enormous wave. Or, to be more specific, a series of giant waves. They most often occur in the Pacific Ocean due to the amount of ocean trenches, mountain chains, and volcanoes that line the ocean floor. There are a total of 452 volcanoes in this titled, “Ring of Fire” that can erupt at any time. The problem with tsunamis is the fact that their effects are somewhat unpredictable. They can strike hundreds of kilometers away from where the initial earthquake took place.

Generally, places such as Alaska, Japan, the Philippines, and the west coast of the United States are at the greatest risk. Tsunamis reach coastal areas the quickest, landing enormous waves on the shore in a manner that can tear buildings apart and sweep people and vehicles away. They flood areas quickly and have an energy that is often equivocated to the energy from multiple blasts of TNT. Tsunamis cause many people to lose their homes and places of business, and cost governments millions of dollars in repairs and assistance. Contaminated water needs to be dealt with and people need food and medical care.

Earthquakes in themselves are devastating. But for coastal areas, a far greater danger can strike later: the dreaded tsunami. With the speed of a tornado and the blast of a volcano eruption, a tsunami can displace people, elements of nature, and monuments of human construction. More effort needs to be put into detection systems so that people can better prepare for the impact that a tsunami can have.

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What Causes a Tsunami?

Tsunamis are caused by violent seafloor movement associated with earthquakes, landslides, lava entering the sea, seamount collapse, or meteorite impact. The most common cause is earthquakes. See the percentages on the right for the geological events that cause tsunamis. Note that 72% of tsunamis are generated by earthquakes. A disturbance that displaces a large water mass from its equilibrium position can cause a tsunami.

Plate Tectonics

In order to understand the role of violent seafloor movement as a major cause of tsunamis, one needs to understand plate tectonics. Earth’s surface is made up of a number of plates that contain both the continents and the seafloor. They move relative to each other at rates of up to several inches per year. A plate boundary is the area where two plates come into contact. The way one plate moves relative to another determines the type of boundary: spreading, where the two plates move away from each other; subduction, where the two plates move toward each other, with one sliding beneath the other; and transform, where the two plates slide horizontally past each other. Subduction is the main cause of major tsunami events.

Ring of Fire

Tsunamis happen most frequently in the Pacific Ocean because of the many large earthquakes associated with subduction zones along the margins of the Pacific Ocean basin, which is called the “Ring of Fire”. Ninety percent of the world’s earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire. There are subduction zones with associated deep-sea trenches off Chile, Alaska, Japan, and Indonesia, for example, that have produced large earthquakes and devastating tsunamis, many of which caused damage and loss of life in the Hawaiian Islands.

Earthquakes that generate tsunamis most often happen where Earth’s tectonic plates converge, and the heavier plate dips beneath the lighter one. Part of the seafloor snaps upward as the tension is released. The entire column of seawater is pushed toward the surface, creating an enormous bulge. As the water flattens out, giant ripples race outward.Landslides, Volcanic Eruptions, MeteoritesSubmarine landslides, which often occur during a large earthquake, can create a tsunami. During a submarine landslide, the equilibrium sea level is altered by sediment moving along the sea floor. Gravitational forces then propagate the tsunami given the initial perturbation of the sea level. Similarly, a violent marine volcanic eruption can create an impulsive force that displaces the water column and generates a tsunami. Above water landslides and space borne objects can disturb the water from above the surface. The falling debris displaces the water from its equilibrium position and produces a tsunami. Unlike ocean-wide tsunamis caused by some earthquakes, tsunamis generated by non-seismic mechanisms usually dissipate quickly and rarely affect coastlines far from the source area. Come and visit the Pacific Tsunami Museum to learn more about the science of tsunamis!

Landslides, Volcanic Eruptions, Meteorites

Submarine landslides, which often occur during a large earthquake, can create a tsunami. During a submarine landslide, the equilibrium sea level is altered by sediment moving along the sea floor. Gravitational forces then propagate the tsunami given the initial perturbation of the sea level. Similarly, a violent marine volcanic eruption can create an impulsive force that displaces the water column and generates a tsunami. Above water landslides and space borne objects can disturb the water from above the surface. The falling debris displaces the water from its equilibrium position and produces a tsunami. Unlike ocean-wide tsunamis caused by some earthquakes, tsunamis generated by non-seismic mechanisms usually dissipate quickly and rarely affect coastlines far from the source area.

Come and visit the Pacific Tsunami Museum to learn more about the science of tsunamis!

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Cause & Effect Essay: Natural Disasters and Their Causes

Natural disasters happen all over the world, and they can be utterly devastating for people’s lives and the environments in which they live. Although natural disasters are caused by nature and there is nothing that we can do to prevent them happening, there are many different natural causes that lead to natural disasters, and being aware of these causes enables us to be better prepared when such disasters do arrive.

One common natural disaster is flooding, which occurs when a river bursts its banks and the water spills out onto the floodplain. This is far more likely to happen when there is a great deal of heavy rain, so during very wet periods, flood warnings are often put in place. There are other risk factors for flooding too: steep-sided channels cause fast surface run-off, while a lack of vegetation or woodland to both break the flow of water and drink the water means that there is little to slow the floodwater down. Drainage basins of impermeable rock also cause the water to run faster over the surface.

Earthquakes are another common natural disaster that can cause many fatalities. The movements of the plates in the earth’s crust cause them. These plates do not always move smoothly and can get stuck, causing a build-up of pressure. It is when this pressure is released that an earthquake occurs. In turn, an earthquake under the water can also cause a tsunami, as the quake causes great waves by pushing large volumes of water to the surface.

Tsunamis can also be caused by underwater volcanic eruptions. Volcanic eruptions are another natural disaster, and they are caused by magma escaping from inside the earth. An explosion takes place, releasing the magma from a confined space, which is why there are often also huge quantities of gas and dust released during a volcanic eruption. The magma travels up the inside of the volcano, and pours out over the surrounding area as lava.

One of the most common natural disasters, but also one of the most commonly forgotten, is wildfires. These take place in many different countries all over the world, particularly during the summer months, and can be caused by a range of different things. Some of the things that can start the wildfires can be totally natural, while others can be manmade, but the speed at which they spread is entirely down to nature. The two natural causes of wildfires are the sun’s heat and lightning strikes, while they can also be caused by campfires, smoking, fireworks and many other things. The reasons that they spread so quickly are prolonged hot, dry weather, where the vegetation dries out, which is why they often take place in woodland.

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What is a Tsunami?

The tsunami definition states that “A series of waves triggered by the movement of a large amount of water in a water body, typically an ocean or a large lake”.

The tsunami definition tells us that these are waves so tsunamis are also known as tidal waves. Tsunamis and tides both create inland water waves, but the inland movement of water in the case of a tsunami can be much greater, giving the appearance of an extremely high and strong tide called a tsunami wave.

In this article on tsunamis, we will learn about the causes and effects of tsunamis, types of tsunamis, and more tsunami information.

What is the Spelling of the Tsunami?

Tsunami is derived from the Japanese word “soo-NAH-mee”. The tsunami meaning in Japanese is “harbour wave”. Since in Japanese words, there is no ‘T’. So when spelt the initial 'T' is often silent which fits with the phonological rules of English.

So, the correct spelling of Tsunami is “Tsunami” with ‘T’ a silent letter.

How Tsunami Occurs?

Tsunamis may be caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other underwater explosions such as detonations, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts, and other man-made disruptions above or below water.

The movement of a large amount of water or the perturbation of the sea is the primary cause of a tsunami. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, ice calvings, and, more rarely, meteorites and nuclear tests are all accounted for the water displacement. 

Earthquakes are the major cause of tsunamis that occur worldwide.

Let us look into a detailed explanation of tsunami causes.

1. The Tsunami Caused By Earthquake

When the seafloor suddenly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying water, tsunamis may occur.

Tectonic earthquakes are a type of earthquake that is related to the deformation of the Earth's crust. When these earthquakes happen under the sea, the water above the deformed region is displaced from its equilibrium state.

Because of the vertical component of movement involved, a tsunami can be produced when thrust faults associated with convergent or destructive plate boundaries move suddenly, resulting in water displacement.

Tsunamis have a small wave height offshore and a long wavelength, which is why they go unnoticed at sea, creating just a small swell about 300 mm (12 in) above the normal sea level. 

When they enter shallow water, they rise in height, a process known as wave shoaling. A tsunami can occur at any tidal state, and coastal areas can be inundated even at low tide.

Examples of tsunamis caused by earthquakes are the Aleutian Islands earthquake in 1946, the Valdivia earthquake in 1960, the Alaska earthquake in 1964, the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, the Tōhoku earthquake in 2011.

2. The Tsunami Caused By Landslides

Landslides cause displacements mostly along the shallower sections of the coastline, and the extent of large landslides that hit the water is uncertain. 

Water in enclosed bays and lakes has been shown to be disturbed as a result, but no landslide large enough to cause a transoceanic tsunami has ever occurred in recorded history.

3. The Tsunami Caused By Meteorological Conditions

The tsunami caused due to Meteorological changes is called a Meteotsunami.

Rapid changes in barometric pressure, such as those seen when a front passes through, can displace bodies of water enough to cause trains of waves with wavelengths similar to seismic tsunamis, but with lower energies.

These are basically dynamically similar to seismic tsunamis, with the exception that Meteotsunami lacks the transoceanic scope of substantial seismic tsunamis and that the force that displaces the water is maintained over time, preventing Meteotsunami from being modelled as occurring instantly.

Despite their lower energies, they can be strong enough to cause localised damage and loss of life on shorelines where they can be intensified by resonance.

Types of Tsunami

There are three basic types of tsunami that occur worldwide. Let us discuss in detail the types of tsunamis in this article on tsunami.

Local Tsunami

A local tsunami is one that causes damage in close proximity to the event that triggered the tsunami.

The underwater occurrence, which is typically an earthquake that triggers a local tsunami, occurs within 100 kilometres (just over 60 miles) of the land damage that results.

Since the time between the underwater occurrence and the arrival of the tsunami can be less than an hour, and even less than 10 minutes, these tsunamis can be catastrophic.

There is insufficient time to perform a thorough evacuation.

Regional Tsunami

A regional tsunami is described as one that causes damage between 100 and 1,000 kilometres from the source of the tsunami. Outside the 1,000-kilometer perimeter, more contained damages will occur in some cases.

Regional tsunamis have a significantly longer warning time than local tsunamis, arriving between one and three hours after the triggering incident.

Within a 1,000-kilometer radius, one to three hours might not be enough time for people to safely evacuate.

Distant Tsunami

A distant tsunami, also known as a Teletsunami or ocean-wide tsunami, is caused by a strong and devastating occurrence that occurs more than 1,000 kilometres away from landfall.

A distant tsunami may appear to be a local tsunami at first, but it spreads through vast swaths of the ocean basin.

A distant tsunami allows more time to evacuate and flee, but it also occupies a wider area of land and is more likely to cause extensive and widespread damage.

Effects of Tsunami

Till now we have learned about what is a Tsunami and the types of the tsunami. So in this section, we will learn about the effects of the tsunami.

A tsunami's impact on a coastline can vary from mild to catastrophic. The characteristics of the seismic event that caused the tsunami, its distance from its point of origin, its duration, and, finally, the structure of the depth of water in oceans along the coast that the tsunami is approaching, all influence the effects of the tsunami.

Here let us discuss a few of the catastrophic effects on nature, animals, and humans.

Destruction

When a massive tsunami hits land, the amount of energy and water stored in it will cause massive damage.

Tsunamis inflict damage by two mechanisms: the slamming force of a fast-moving wall of water, and the destructive strength of a large volume of water draining off the ground and bringing a large amount of debris with it, even with small waves.

The initial wave of a large tsunami is extremely high, but it does not cause the majority of the damage. The vast mass of water behind the initial wavefront causes the majority of the damage, as the sea level continues to rise rapidly and floods the coastal region. 

The strength of the waves, the never-ending crashing water, is what causes destruction and death. A tsunami's huge breaking waves will kill everything in their way as they pound the shoreline.

Tsunami waves wreck everything in their path: boats, houses, bridges, vehicles, trees, telephone lines, power lines, and just about everything else. 

If the tsunami waves have swept away the shoreline's infrastructure, they will proceed inland for several miles, sweeping away more trees, houses, vehicles, and other man-made objects. 

Some tsunamis have also made some of the small islands unrecognisable.

The cost of human life is one of the most significant and destructive consequences of a tsunami since surviving a tsunami is virtually impossible. Tsunamis claim the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Before a tsunami hits the ground, there is very little warning. When the water flows toward the shore, there is no time to plot an escape path.

People who live in coastal areas, cities, and villages do not have the luxury of time to flee. The tsunami's strong force causes instant death, most usually from drowning. Another cause of death is buildings collapse, electrocution, and fires from gas, broken tanks, and floating debris.

In tsunami-affected areas, the disease could spread due to flooding and polluted drinking water. When water is stagnant and polluted, illnesses like malaria will spread.

Since it is difficult for people to remain healthy and diseases to be treated in these environments, infections and illnesses will spread rapidly, resulting in more deaths.

Environmental Impacts

Tsunamis not only kill humans, but also wipe out insects, livestock, plants, and natural resources.

The landscape is changed by a tsunami. It uproots trees and plants, as well as animal habitats including bird nesting sites.

Drowning kills land animals, and waste kills sea animals when toxic substances are washed into the sea, poisoning marine life.

The environmental impacts of a tsunami include not just the landscape and animal life, but also the man-made elements of the climate.

More Facts About the Tsunami

The most dangerous tsunami recorded till now is the Boxing day tsunami, also known as the Indian Ocean tsunami with at least 2,30,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean, it was one of the worst natural disasters in human history.

The most recent tsunami is the tsunami 2020 which occurred on the island of Samos (Greece) and the Aegean coast of the Izmir region (Turkey) on 30 October 2020. This significant tsunami was triggered by an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 Mw.

Some zoologists claim that some animals can detect subsonic Rayleigh waves generated by an earthquake or tsunami. Monitoring their actions, if done correctly, may provide an early warning of earthquakes and tsunamis. The proof, on the other hand, is debatable and not generally accepted.

About 80% of Tsunami occur in the Pacific Ocean, “Rings of Fire”.

The first wave of Tsunami is not the strongest. However, the successive waves are stronger and bigger. 

Tsunamis can travel up to the speed of 805 km/hrs or 500 miles almost as fast as a jet plane.

The US states like Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, California, and Washington are at the highest risk of Tsunami.

If anyone is caught by a Tsunami wave, it’s better to not swim, instead, he must grab an object and let the wave carry him.

Tsunamis can travel throughout the ocean with minimum energy loss.

Hawaii is always at risk of a Tsunami- It gets hit by one each year and seven in every seven years. In 1946, Hawaii got hit by the biggest tsunami wave at Hilo Island. The reported height of the wave was 30ft and the speed was 500mph.

In 2004, an earthquake caused a tsunami in the Indian Ocean with the energy of 23000 atomic bombs. After the earthquake, 11 countries were slammed by the radiation emitted from the epicentre. The total death toll was 283000.

Tsunami Safety

A Tsunami becomes dangerous when it approaches land. Its speed decreases from 30mph to 20mph when it enters shallow water near coastlines. The height increases, wavelength decreases, and the currents intensify. Tsunami warnings come in various forms. Tsunami warning centres broadcast warnings through local radio and television, weather radios, wireless emergency alerts, and social media. They may also be received by outdoor sirens, text message alerts, local officials, and telephone notifications.

It is better to recognize natural tsunami warnings instead of waiting for an official warning. These include long and strong earthquakes, a loud sound (similar to train or aeroplane) coming from the ocean, a sudden rise or fall in the sea level not related to the tide. Both natural and official warnings are equally important. One should be prepared to respond quickly to these warnings.

One can move to a safe place by following the evacuation signs. If an individual is unable to do so, then he must go to high ground or far away from the coastlines.

When tsunamis strike land, their height is less than 10 feet, but in some cases, it can exceed 100 feet near their source.

A tsunami can come to the shore like a wall of turbulent water or a fast-rising flood. Moreover, a huge tsunami wave can destroy low-lying coastal areas to a large extent.

Rushing water from floods, waves, and rivers is highly powerful. It can wash off everything coming on their way.

Tsunamis are destructive due to their volume and speed. They become more dangerous when they return from the sea carrying people, objects, and debris with them. Therefore, people are advised to stay out of the tsunami hazard zones until the conditions come under control.

FAQs on Tsunami

1. What is a Tsunami?

A tsunami is a disastrous ocean wave, usually resulting from an underwater earthquake, coastal landslide, or volcanic eruption. It is a Japanese word that means "harbor wave". It can be also defined as a series of waves in a water body. The height of the tsunami increases when waves combine and build up themselves higher in height. This results in a decrease in the depth of the ocean. The depth of the ocean decides the speed of the tsunami. The tsunami is also referred to as a tidal wave.

2. What are the Types of Tsunamis?

The three types of tsunamis are: 

Local Tsunami- It is a type of tsunami that covers an area of 100km or less. The time duration of this tsunami is less than 1 hour or even in minutes.

Regional Tsunami- The tsunami which causes destruction in the region covering an area of 1000km of its source is known as a regional tsunami. The travel time of this tsunami is between 1 to 3 hours. 

Distant Tsunami- The tsunami which is generated far away from the coast or on the other side of the ocean is known as a distant tsunami. This tsunami takes time to reach the coastal area.

3. What are the Major Effects of Tsunamis?

Tsunami causes a lot of devastating effects on nature and human life. The major effects of a tsunami are Destruction, Death, Disease, and major environmental impact on animals, birds, and humans. Buildings, bridges, and other objects are carried away by the tsunami. They also hit small islands which are left unrecognizable. Hundreds and thousands of people are killed by the tsunami. Stagnant water becomes the breeding place for mosquitoes which spreads diseases like malaria. Many sea and land animals lost their lives due to the tsunami. Not only this but habitats of animals are also destroyed.

4. How do volcanic eruptions generate tsunamis?

Tsunamis are also generated by volcanic eruptions. When volcanic eruptions cause disturbances, then a large amount of water gets displaced from a water source. This displaced water in the form of waves recognized as the tsunami. An example of a tsunami that was caused by the volcanic eruption was the tsunami of 26 August 1883. This was the result of the explosion of the volcano of Krakatau in Indonesia. This was the most destructive and largest tsunami. The tsunami was 135 feet high and killed 36,417 people.

12 Causes and Effects of Tsunami You Must Know

Sea level changes can be caused by earthquakes that is centered under the sea, submarine volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, or meteor that hit the sea. The Greek historian, Thucydides was the first to link the tsunami to an undersea earthquake.

see also:  Facts of Dead Sea

However, until the 20th century, knowledge about the cause of the tsunami is still lack. Research is still underway to understand the causes of tsunami. Tsunami can occur in the event of a disturbance causing large volumes of water, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and meteors that fall to the earth. However, 90% of tsunami are the result of submarine earthquakes. In the historical record of several tsunamis caused by erupting volcanoes, for example when the eruption of Mount Krakatau.

A vertical movement in the earth’s crust may cause the seabed to rise or fall suddenly, resulting in a disruption of the water’s balance above it. This resulted in the huge flow of sea water energy.  When it reached the shore, the energy transform into a large wave that resulted in a tsunami. (see also:  Sea Erosion )

This vertical movement can occur on earthquakes that is also common in below areas, where oceanic plates slip beneath continental plates. Landslides that occur on the seafloor and the fall of a volcano can also lead to disruption of sea water that can produce tsunami. An earthquake that causes the motion perpendicular to the earth’s layers. As a result, the seabed fluctuates suddenly so that the balance of sea water above it is disrupted. Similarly, cosmic objects or meteors that fall from the top. If the size of the meteor or landslide is quite large, mega tsunami can occur that reach hundreds of meters high. (see also:  Ocean Plants )

Here explanation about Causes and Effects of Tsunami.

Causes of the Tsunami

The source of the plant is known that 90% of the tsunami is caused by tectonic earthquake activity, 9% due to volcanic activity and 1% by soil landslides that occurring in water such as in the lakes or in the ocean  or landslides that came from land which is enters to the ocean. (see also:  Ocean Layers )

Tsunami is a series of long waves caused by sudden massive water movement. Tsunami can be triggered by earthquake events, volcanic eruptions, and avalanches on the seabed, or landslide in large volumes, the impact of meteors, and the collapse of the coastal slopes falling into the sea or the bay. (See also:  Ocean Pollution )

Tectonic Earthquake

Earthquake is earth shaking caused by the collision between earth fragment, active volcanic activity or rock fall. Earthquake strength due to volcanic activity and rock collapse is relatively small, so we will focus the discussion on the earthquake as a result of intercollision between earth fragment and active faulting. (See also:  Marine Energy )

Tectonic earthquakes are the most damaging types of earthquakes that occur because of the release of energy stress that buried inside the rocks due to internal movement. The characteristics of the earthquake that caused the tsunami is:

• Earthquakes centered on the sea and shallow (0 – 30 km).
• An earthquake with a strength of at least 6.5 on the Richter Scale. (see also:  Marine Disasters )
• An earthquake with a fault pattern rises or a fault decreases. (see also:  Effect Of Sea Level Rise )

Causes of Tectonic Earthquakes

The cause of tectonic earthquake is due to tectonic effect of movement of the earth’s plates and cesarean activity of the surface of the earth and local geomorphological movement, for example the occurrence of activity volcanoes, nuclear explosions. (see also:  Endangered Seahorses )

Potential tsunami earthquakes are earthquakes with centers earthquake on seabed which is had magnitde of earthquake is > 7 SR with depth less than 60-70 Km. And also there is the vertical deformation of the seabed that is formed because of the magnitude of earthquake is greater than 6,0 Richter Scale as well as the type of falling faulth (normal faulth) or broken fault (Thrush faulth). (see also:  Ocean Phenomena )

Tsunami which caused by tectonic earthquakes are affected by depth of the source of the earthquake as well as the length, depth, and direction of tectonic fracture. In general, new tsunami may occur if the depth of the epicenter is less than 60 km across below sea level. Immediately, after the earthquake happened the tsunami will raised to all direction. (See also:  Ocean Problems )

During propagation, the wave’s height is greater due to influence of of the sea floor. When it reaches the shore, the water mass will propel up and headed to the mainland. When high tsunami waves reaching the shore, it is greatly influenced by the contours of the seabed around the coast. Otherwise, if the distant tsunami go to the land, it is strongly influenced by topography and the usage land in the coastal area.

The lack of capability in anticipating disasters can be seen from spatial planning that haven’t optimal yet and development planning that pay less attention to disaster risk. Lack of track facilities and evacuation sites for the citizens are also one example of a lack of ability to deal with disaster. The hazard maps and risk maps that have been created haven’t be used optimally in integrated disaster risk reduction and development programs.

There is a tendency that the Disaster Risk Reduction Program (DRR) only considered as an additional cost, not part of a development investment that can ensure sustainable development. For that, a potential earthquake that can cause Tsunami should be given more attention. (See also:  Ocean Environment 

Effects of the Tsunami

The tsunami waves can propagate in all directions. The power contained in the tsunami wave will determined the height and the speed of the Tsunami wave. In the deep ocean, tsunami waves can travel at speeds of 500-1000 km per hour. This speed is equal to airplane’s speed. However, in the deep sea, the tsunami wave height is only about 1 meter. That why, the power of tsunami wave is not felt by the ship that was in the middle of the sea.

When approaching the coast, the tsunami wave velocity decreases to about 30 km per hour, but its height has increased to tens of meters. The waves of the Tsunami can enter up to tens of kilometers from the shore. Damage and casualties caused by the tsunami can be caused by the blow of water and materials carried by the tsunami wave. The negative impacts caused by the tsunami are destroying whatever it takes. Buildings, vegetation, and human casualties and causing puddles, contamination of saltwater to farmland, soil, and fresh water.

The meaning of impact according to KBBI is the impact that have both positive and negative consequences. Influence is the power that is exists and arise from something (people, objects) that come to form character, belief or one’s deeds. Influence is a state where there is a obstacle relationship behind or causal relationship between what affects and what is affected. (see also:  Effects of Greenhouse )

The impact of disasters on health is the occurrence of health crises, which raises:

• Mass casualties – Disasters that occur may result many deaths and injury, trauma and disability victim
• Displacement – This evacuation may occur as a result of the destruction homes or the danger that can occur if they remain in the location events. This is influenced by the risk level of a region or region where the occurrence of disaster. (See also:  Marine Protected Areas )

A. Based on the Positive Impact of the Tsunami

• Tsunami is a natural disasters caused many death victims, so that employment became widely open for people who is still alive. (See also:  Deep Ocean Ecosystems )
• Cooperate and work together to help victims of disaster, causing an awareness effect that humans are mutual creature that need each other to live. (See also:  Sea Salt Facts )
• We can know the quality of the construction of our buildings and their weaknesses and can make new innovations. So, if the disaster comes back the new construction will strong enough to stay still until the disaster go away. (see also:  Waves in Ocean )

B. The Negative Impact of the Tsunami Disaster

• Destructive what the course of the building, the plants, and the resulting loss of life human as well as causing inundation, saltwater pollution of farmland, soil, and clean water.
• Many skilled workers are victimized so it is difficult to seek more appropriate experts in their field of work.
• The Government will overwhelmed in the implementation of post-disaster development because of the lack of funding factor and too much expenses needed. (see also:  Ocean Coral Reef  )
• Increase the level of poverty in the event of disaster-affected communities who lost everything.

Ways to Reduce Tsunami Risks

The tsunami resulted in high energy difference. The difference of energy cause the wave with high speed.  This wave has a strong damaged power. To reduce the damage and the casualties caused by tsunami, the coastal areas need protection. However physical protection is almost impossible to do as it will requires a huge cost. The protective construction will only work effectively to protect the bay that has a narrow beach. The protective construction must be strong enough to accept tsunami wave pressure, and high enough to avoid wave overtopping it. There are more ways that effective to train the population in the face of the tsunami and avoiding construction in areas often hit by the tsunami. The following actions need to be taken to reduce disaster risk tsunami.

• Establish an early warning system.
• Relocation of resettlement areas prone to tsunami threats. (See also:  How to Prevent El Nino )
• Education to the public about various things related to the tsunami, such as arrival signs tsunami and ways of self-preservation, so that the community is ready and responsive If at any time the tsunami comes suddenly.
• Make a path or a path to escape the tsunami. (See also:  Acidification of The Ocean )
• Planting coastal areas with plants which can effectively absorb wave energy (eg mangroves) let the field open to absorb the tsunami energy.
• Make dike or breakwater in possible areas. (see also:  Volcano under the Ocean )

The Mechanism of Tsunami

The mechanism of tsunami that is caused by earthquake  can be described in four phase including initial conditions, wave separation, amplification, and wave invasion.

1. Initial Conditions

Earthquakes are usually associated with surface shocks that occurs as a result of the propagation of elastic waves through the rock base to ground level. In areas that adjacent to sources of seismic earthquake (fragment), the seabed will be partially uplifted permanently and the other part is down-dropped, so it will push the water column to move rises and falls. (See also:  Salinity of Ocean Water )

On the other hand, the potential energy that caused by this water is turned into a tsunami wave or kinetic energy above the elevation of mean sea level. This energy will propagates horizontally. The case above is a basic collapse of the continental slope caused by an earthquake with the relative deep oceans . This case can also occur in a fragment collapse of continental with shallow water depths due to earthquake. (See also:  Effects of Ocean Currents )

2. Separation of Waves

After a few minutes of earthquake events, the initial wave of the tsunami will be separated into tsunamis that propagate into the ocean, this tsunami is called distant tsunami and the other part of initial tsunami wave is propagate to the adjacent beaches, we call it as local tsunami. The height of this two type tsunami is about a half the height of initial tsunami wave. The speed of propagation to these two tsunami waves can be estimated as the root of The depth of the sea (gd). Therefore, the tsunami velocity in the deep ocean will be faster than the local tsunami.

3. Amplification and Wave Invasion

At the time of local tsunami propagate through continental slopes, there are some frequent event  such ad  increase the wave amplitude and decrease in length of wave. After approaching the land with a more upright slope, there will occur a wave invasion. At the time the tsunami waves propagate from the depth water sea, it will pass through the part of the continental slope that near to the shore and there will be a wave invasion of tsunami. Wave invasion of tsunami is a measure of the height of water level on the beach against sea level, the average of this height is being used as a reference. (See also:  Ocean Animals )

From the observation of various tsunami events, the tsunami generally doesn’t cause a high waves to rotate locally like the wave that usually used by the surfer for surfing on ocean. However, the tsunami came in the form of strong waves with high speed in different terrain as described in amplification, So that the first wave invasion isn’t the highest rhythm. (see also:  Endangered Sea Turtles List )

Signs of a Tsunami

• Land movement

This land movement arises because of the propagation of waves in the solid layer of the earth due to the earthquake. If a large shallow earthquake happens below sea level, it is very potential tsunami. Especially for the tsunami near field (the source close to the beach), this movement can be felt directly by the human senses without using a measuring device. For a tsunami with source far field (remote source with beach) the movement can’t felt by the human senses. (See also:  Types of Sea Urchins )

• Tsunami Forerunners

Nakamura and Watanabe define Tsunami forerunners as a series of oscillations or the sea level that preceded the arrival of the main tsunami, that easily can be seen on tape station recordings with typical amplitude and smaller periods. But, this tsunami forerunner not always appearing before the real Tsunami.

In North and South America, the tsunami forerunners not present due to Natural slope from the initial tsunami to the beach. While the presence of forerunners tsunami in other area such as Japan is  due to the occurrence of resonance (wave following) of the initial tsunami at bay and in continental exposure before the main tsunami came.

• Withdrawal Forward or Initial Withdrawal Bore

In some writings both popular and scientific suggest about the presence of withdrawal of sea level before the main tsunami reaches beach. From the results of the tsunami recording, Murty (1977) suggests there are hundreds of cases where the withdrawal of this ocean surface occurs, but in some instances not present. Theoretically, this kind of situation is generally caused by the advance of the previous negative wave followed by the positive wave.

• High Sea Water Front Wall In The Sea (Tsunami Bore)

Tsunami bore is a tsunami movement that spreads in shallow waters. Tsunami bore will continues to spreading over the coast as split waves that shaped like the wall with almost flat height. This phenomenon is due to meteorological disturbance such as gravity of the moon. (See also:  Surface of Tension Liquids )

• The Incidence of Strange Voice

Many old documents in Japan reported abnormal sounds before the arrival of the tsunami, it is engraved on the Tsunami Monument in the Prefecture Aomori which reads: “Earthquake, sea Roar, then Tsunami” (Earthquake, Roaring, then tsunami). This monument was built after the 1993 Showa Great Sanriku Tsunami, aims to continue the attention of the people of that generation will come against the tsunami. It recommends to evacuate if sounds abnormal after an earthquake. A voice like this is also told by tsunami witnesses in Biak, Banyuwangi and Flores which mentions sounds that resemble: the sound of helicopters, sounds drum bands, as well as the rocketing sound of the rock. ( See also:  Climate of the Ocean )

• Observation of the sense of smell and sense of taste

Eyewitnesses suggested that the time before the tsunami came wind with a rather cold air mixed with the smell of sea salt is strong enough. This is most likely due to sea saline offshore which in huge amount going to the seashore. So, the smell of the salt is so strong. (see also:  Global Warming in Ocean )

Those are complete explanation about Causes and Effects of Tsunami.

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The Causes and Effect of Tsunami - Essay Example

• Subject: Environmental Studies
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Extract of sample "The Causes and Effect of Tsunami"

The second effect of a tsunami is the deadly push of the ocean wave that will destroy everything on its path.   The energy accumulated by the movement of the ocean floors also creates a push on the ocean waves that strikes nearby shorelines.  This push created by the ocean waves increases as the waves travel to the shoreline making it very powerful that it could destroy everything that would stand on its path.  This travel from the epicenter to the shoreline makes the tsunami stronger albeit it is caused by the movement on the ocean floors.

  The massive waves that characterize tsunamis can be a “wave train” or a series of powerful waves that would race toward shorelines making its destructive nature exponential by the multiples of its waves (www. Geology.com). Its strength can literally wipe out a community on the shoreline that will strike.  This includes human beings, animals, trees and even structures.  A strong tsunami is so destructive that it can even damage structures that are designed to withstand strong waves.

         The third effect of the tsunami is a disease.  After the water of the tsunami has ebbed, it will leave rotting bodies of living things it drowned and plenty of contaminated water that could potentially precipitate an epidemic in the affected area.  The diseases that the tsunami aftermath will range from skin diseases to more lethal diseases such as malaria that could potentially make the entire community sick if the disease is not attended. Tsunamis are indeed very powerful forces of nature that are very destructive and frightening.

  Its aftermath can leave diseases to the community it affected that could potentially make everyone sick.  Also, the amount of energy accumulated in the bottom of the ocean that drives the waves of tsunamis are so powerful it can destroy anything that stands on its path.  The power of its waves is terrifying because it can kill people and other living things in multitudes. Not even strong structures can withstand the power of a tsunami because it can destroy such structures like as the case of Fukushima plant that was supposed to be protected by a tsunami wall. 

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What is a tsunami and what are its causes and effects?

Tsunami is waves caused by a sudden movement of the ocean surface due to earthquakes, landslides on the sea floor, land slumping into the ocean, large volcanic eruptions or meteorite impact in the ocean. It destroys human life and livelihood and also causes the loss of natural resources. 

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Tsunami alert issued after volcano erupts in Indonesia, with thousands told to evacuate

Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert Wednesday after eruptions at Ruang mountain sent ash thousands of feet high. Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area.

The volcano on the northern side of Sulawesi island had at least five large eruptions in the past 24 hours, Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said. Authorities raised their volcano alert to its highest level.

At least 800 residents left the area earlier Wednesday.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities urged tourists and others to stay at least 3.7 miles from the 2,378-foot Ruang volcano.

Officials worry that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami, as in a 1871 eruption there.

Tagulandang island, to the volcano’s northeast, is again at risk, and its residents are among those being told to evacuate.

Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency said residents will be relocated to Manado, the nearest city, on Sulawesi island, a journey of six hours by boat.

In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the ocean, killing 430 people.

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