Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, 1964

The 1964 Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake and the resulting tsunami struck without warning on Good Friday, March 27.

It was a quiet spring day in Anchorage, a holiday. Temperatures were seasonably mild with a moderate amount of snow on the ground. Children had the day off from school, and customer traffic in the stores downtown was light. Many residents were preparing or enjoying dinner at home. At 5:36 p.m. a major earthquake began to shake the ground, and the earth beneath Southcentral Alaska moved in waves for the next four long minutes.

Parents and children slipped, stumbled and fell on shifting floors in a panicked effort to get outdoors to escape breaking windows. Two inch cracks appeared in the ground in many places. Roads wrinkled and split and Fourth Avenue in downtown Anchorage broke apart and collapsed 10 feet or more. The Government Hill Elementary School twisted, shifted and became unusable in a moment. The outside wall of the J.C. Penney building crashed to the street. In the Turnagain residential district the ground liquefied like quicksand, slid away, and swallowed up 75 or more homes.

The four minute earthquake released the energy roughly equivalent to 10 million times the force of an atomic bomb. The mass of the earth and ocean absorbed most of the force, but manmade structures in the area could not absorb the rest of the force without suffering massive damage. Total property damage was estimated at $500 million.

Anchorage was crippled as gas lines and water lines were severed abruptly. Residents resorted to melting snow for water while awaiting repairs. Four days later students returned to available schools as life in Anchorage began to recover.

The Earthquake

The center of the Alaska earthquake was located about 75 miles east of Anchorage and about 55 miles west of Valdez. It began 14 to 16 miles deep in the earth's crust, a comparatively shallow depth, where the Pacific plate dives beneath the North American plate. The huge subduction zone is located at the north end of the Ring of Fire, a semicircle of volcanic and earthquake activity that defines the rim of the Pacific Ocean.

The earthquake fault, more precisely the thrust fault, which was the cause of the Good Friday earthquake stretched 750 miles from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to Valdez. The Pacific plate that day moved an estimated 25 to 30 feet northward, diving beneath the North American plate. The grinding of the two massive tectonic plates caused the Alaska earthquake and measured 8.4 on the Richter scale. In later years the measurement of the Alaska earthquake was upgraded to 9.2 on the Mw, or moment magnitude, scale as the Richter scale was determined to be inaccurate at measuring very large earthquakes above 8.0. Within a day of the initial major earthquake 11 more tremors of 6.0 or greater shook an already nervous population. In fact, aftershocks continued for nearly a year.

The earthquake caused the ground to displace upward by as much as 25 feet on several Alaskan islands and by nearly 3 feet upward at the city of Valdez. In other areas the ground displaced downward as much as 9 feet, for example in the town of Portage.

The Alaska earthquake on Good Friday was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America. It was the second strongest ever recorded worldwide, surpassed in strength by the 9.5 Mw earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960. The recent December 26, 2004, earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra measured 9.0 Mw. The deadliest earthquake occurred in Shensi Province, China, in 1556 where over 830,000 residents perished.

The Tsunami

Tsunami is an adapted Japanese word meaning "port wave," a reference to the fact that the wave's danger and destructive power only become evident as it approaches the shore.

During the 1964 Alaska earthquake the North American plate released upward, displacing a huge volume of ocean water and causing a seismic wave, a tsunami, to travel outward. The wave traveled at an estimated 450 miles per hour in the deeper ocean in a long wave of almost imperceptible height.

As the tsunami wave passed over the continental shelf and approached shore its length shortened, its speed decreased and its height increased as the massive volume and weight of water prepared to release its incredible energy on anything in its path.

At the shallow Valdez Inlet the wave reached a maximum height of nearly 200 feet. Further on, at the old town of Valdez, a 30 foot wall of water struck and demolished all structures. Twenty eight Valdez residents died when the tsunami crashed ashore. Valdez was later rebuilt at a higher elevation and further from the waterfront.

In Seward, Alaska, the earthquake caused a portion of the bay to slide. The slide caused a local tsunami which devastated Seward's port and downtown district, both of which were eventually rebuilt. Twelve residents perished in Seward.

The small town of Portage was leveled by its own local tsunami and never relocated or rebuilt. Another local tsunami struck the small port of Whittier killing 12 residents.

The Destruction

The original tsunami traveled about 8400 miles. It caused damage in the Hawaiian Islands and along the Oregon and California coasts. A 20 foot wave struck Crescent City, California, and killed 10 residents. The tsunami was responsible for the deaths of 16 people in Oregon and California.

The tsunami killed a total of 122 people in three states. By comparison, the earthquake resulted in 9 deaths.

It has been more than 40 years since the Alaska earthquake and tsunami. In the meantime construction materials and building practices have been enforced to produce structures more capable of surviving strong earthquakes. Also in the meantime, the population in Alaska's vulnerable areas has increased tremendously.

Smaller earthquakes along Alaska's subduction zone and other fault zones occur on a daily basis, presumably relieving the internal pressures that would otherwise produce another massive earthquake.

However, nobody knows with certainty when, where, or whether another huge and destructive earthquake will strike Alaska.

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Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of http://www.Anchorage-Homes.com and http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.

Tsunami Defined

Tsunami is a Japanese term that describes a large seismically generated sea wave which is capable of considerable destruction in certain coastal areas, especially where underwater earthquakes occur.

In Japanese, "Tsunami" means "Harbor Wave" or "Wave In The Harbor" It is now internationally accepted as the term that defines a "Seismic Seawave."

In South America, the term "Maremoto" is frequently used to describe a Tsunami.

Tsunami is pronounced: (sue-NAM-ee)

Tsunami's have been incorrectly referred to as "tidal waves." A tidal wave is a non-technical term for a shallow water wave caused by the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth (high water is the crest of a tidal wave and low water is the trough).

Tsunami's are formed by a displacement of water. This can come from the slippage of the boundaries between two tectonic plates, volcanic eruption, under-water earthquake, or even landslides.

Out in the open ocean, Tsunami's might only be 1 meter in height, but as it reaches the shore in shallow water, it can rise to heights of 15-30 meters or more. Think about how a normal wave comes into a shore: the water moves away from the shore and then comes crashing back. This movement "heightens" the destruction power of a Tsunami.

Tsunami's can also reach speeds ranging from 400 to 500+ miles per hour... about the same speed as a jet airliner.

The enormous energy that a Tsunami can possess allows it to travel across entire oceans. They often proceed as an ordinary gravity wave... having a 15 to 60 minute intervals.

From a destruction perspective, Tsunami's have cost not hundreds of thousands, but millions of human lives over the recorded history of Earth.

Sources: U.S. Geological Survey & Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Resource Box:

Joe Upsurge is a freelance writer and author with a personal interest in Tsunamis and other seismic wave research.

TSUNAMI The Next Big Wave:The Grandaddy of Them All

A few days ago on Melbourne's 60 Minutes, renowned scientist Dr Kerry Sieh predicted the guaranteed next big wave or giant Tsunami will definitely happen, and it will be the Grandaddy of them all.

Indonesia gets the full force this time around ... When?... whether it be in a few months, or in a decade is all Dr Sieh cannot accurately predict at this present moment.

Kerry Sieh, a Geology professor at the California Institute of Technology, knows Indonesia's earthquake zone like the back of his hand ... and he did in fact predict the first earthquake that hit parts of Indonesia on Boxing Day. Now he predicts another Tsunami will hit, and this will be the grandaddy of them all!

From Melbourne MSN Channel 9's Sixty Minutes Richard Carleton explains why the earthquakes and ensuing Tsunami's occur:

RICHARD CARLETON: Dr Sieh's focus is on the faultline, 5000km long, where moving plates of the earth's crust grind against each other. The plate under the Indian Ocean slides beneath Indonesia, much like the disappearing stairs on an escalator. But some sections get stuck and then later snap upwards, releasing gargantuan force.

DR KERRY SIEH: The plates get hung up and they can't slip past each other, so the upper plate gets dragged down as this plate sinks and with it, the islands get dragged down, slowly but surely, and when the earthquake happens, they pop back up and out.

RICHARD CARLETON: And that's what happened last Boxing Day. The quake jolted the mainland so violently that people were thrown to the ground.

What a pointless waste of life! ... Dr Sieh warned the governments concerned ahead of time, he even went down personally and alerted inhabitants of the affected villages in Indonesia to protect themselves against the Tsunami he just knew would happen ... but nobody paid any attention to him ... now when he walks into these same villages, he is welcomed and treated as a hero !

From his 14 satellite research station, high in the mountain tops of the humid Indonesian jungle, Dr Sieh now predicts the next Tsunami will hit:

.. and the precise location .... right opposite the city of Padang in Indonesia ... inhabitants: 1 million people!

Repeat: All he cannot pinpoint is when ... this disaster could be in months, the next decade or in a hundred years!

The city of Padang is base for Australian surfers who go there to surf the waves of the Menwawais ... where some of the best surfing breaks in the world may be found .. as an Australian citizen this is startling news.

Geographically, the city of Padang would have difficulty dealing with a high tide, the devastation caused by the grandaddy of Tsunamis is incomprehensible.

Imagine a mere 15 minute warning before the earthquake ..

... and then the waters of the giant Tsunami gushing down the streets of Padang, just like it did in Banda Acheh washing everything away in its stride ..

... a moving torrent of cars, oil, broken trees and precious human life!

My call to all my fellow Marketers, the Search Engine Optimization community, Retail colleagues and anyone who reads this post: do everything in your power to reach your readers in Indonesia, particularly the city of Padang, they need to take heed and make adequate provision, to stop the pointless human slaughter this time around.

Whether this be in the form of lobbying your local Government bodies, or through local press release, we must help this time, before the devastation of this giant wave; the grandaddy of Tsunami's takes away more precious human life.

But above all do this in a responsible manner .. causing wide spread panic amongst unworldly village inhabitants or your worldwide audience will not help at all.

Melbourne's 60 Minutes at MSN Channel 9 has the whole story including a video of the interview available at their site . The video version is half-way down the page. Due to the ever changing nature of News, I cannot guarantee how long this link will be up.

Whilst this news is hardly topical for an internet marketing and search engine optimization Blog, as a parent the irreversible damage to our environment has me greatly concerned ... please do whatever you can to stop this alarming trend.

Entire article available at:

Marketing Defined on the next big Tsunami

Copyright 2005 Marketing Defined. All Rights Reserved.

This article may be reproduced in its entirety, with no alterations. The resource boxes, live URL's and Author Bio must be included.

Roseanne van Langenberg is a Marketing Consultant and Publisher from Melbourne, Australia. Roseanne shares her findings on legitimate back-door search engine optimization and internet marketing techniques, for online blogs, which earned her a No. 1 ranking at the new MSN search engine, at the Marketing Defined seo and internet marketing Blog.

How Do Tsunamis Form?

Tsunamis in scientific terms are also called as seismic sea waves. The reason of their occurrence is the sudden change in the surface of sea which is usually earthquakes and large landslides. Tsunamis are not "tidal waves" but people disregard them as that. In reality they are not caused due to tidal actions. Every earthquake cannot create Tsunami. In order to create it, it must be under or near the ocean, must be very huge and able to create vertical movements. Almost every oceanic regions present in the world are prone to Tsunamis but Pacific Ocean is much more vulnerable to such earthquakes and thereby, Tsunamis. They are not very powerful deep inside the ocean since they carry small amplitudes and speed of around 800 kms per hour but it dissipates its energy after reaching the outer ocean. In fact the ocean becomes a 'pond' to Tsunamis. Moreover, there are numerous waves to accumulate into it.

Tsunamis are very energetic, powerful and enormous amount of energy can spread onto a large volume of water deep within sea. When they reach coastline or shallow water their energy concentrates into smaller volume. Its speed tends to decrease but the amplitude heightens up to a dangerous level which can be 50 feet or even more than that covering the entire island.

Tsunamis are formed after occurrence of earthquakes, landslides or volcanic eruptions under the sea floor. When such movements are happened under the deep sea, huge amount of energy releases as a consequence of quick upward and bottom movements. For example after occurrence of volcanic eruptions the oceanic floor very quickly moves upward several hundred feet. When such thing happens, huge amount of ocean water gets pushed upwards resulting into formation of a wave. Similarly a huge earthquake can lift several thousands of square kilometers of sea surface which further results into formation of huge waves. In fact The Pacific Ocean is the oceanic region which is very much prone to such Tsunamis. The reason behind this is also the numerous amounts of geological activities undertaken by it.

In the open ocean Tsunamis may appear to be very small and that's why they get unnoticed until they reach shallow waters or the coastline. Waves occurring after such movements carry large wavelengths. As a result these wavelengths can take gigantic and dangerous forms thereby resulting into Tsunamis. There is no wonder that such Tsunamis can cause massive destruction around the coastal life and huge amount of loss of life.

Author recommends Tech-FAQ for more information on topics such as How Do Tsunamis Form and How Ocean Currents Affect Climate. You may visit for more details.

German Memory in Asia - A Visit to Tsunami-Hit Coastal Areas of Indian Ocean

I had a fine view of the mangroves in the both directions of the passage, recalling memories of the good old days in Mullaitivu.

When we reached the tsunami-hit bridge, we stopped over it and had a close view of the devastated bridge and the surrounding area. In the vicinity we could see that LTTE cadres were reconstructing the bridge and excavating the debris under it to enable an uninterrupted water-flow over the narrow canal which links the Indian Ocean and the interior Lake. I approached them and inquired about the tsunami devastation and its effects. They narrated the terrific moments and how they managed to escape at the time of the tsunami tidal waves by jumping onto the upper-side of the area.

I was horrified when they told how all the passengers and the vehicles passing by were washed away by the mighty tidal waves as though they were driftwood. The tidal waves had not only devastated human lives but also deprived the survivors of all hope and the meaning for existing. The tsunami waves have given a lasting message to the human race that worldly life is highly illusive and natural forces could triumph over their planning and execution. It had washed away everything in seconds.

We had conquered the outer space and successfully landed on the moon but were still struggling to cope with our own world's natural calamities. We had failed in controlling nature's furies. Technological advancement and other scientific inventions have been of no avail. The tsunami had smitten our conscience and posed the question as to why we bothered so much about the outer space wonders than finding solutions to our own world's disorders.

While my thoughts turned back to the tsunami-hit bridge and the surroundings, I focused my attention on the path we traveled by. I noticed our six-vehicle convoy was on its way towards us. The waving banners in front of the vehicles identified that those were our vehicles.

Suddenly I was terrified thinking of those fateful moments on the bridge and what would have happened to me. Oh! I just couldn't imagine it. Those horrific moments were again and again assailing me. The convoy had approached the bridge and stopped near us. Some of the German Praktikum (Internship) students got down from their vehicles.

The scenic beauty of the narrow lagoon and the surrounding Palmyra trees everywhere cast a fascination over all, despite having depressed moments. But I had mixed feelings of whether to enjoy the tropical beauty or mourn for those who were washed away there a few days ago.

In a few minutes most of the students who came with us in the convoy, even the girl intern students got down from the vehicles. The German television crew was busy in documenting the lagoon and the surrounding devastation, which they could telecast over satellite transmission throughout Germany.

The BBC correspondent with whom I traveled requested me to join him. But I decided to accompany the convoy and thanked him for his request. I joined the German team once again. I could see in their faces a difference. They too might have realized the illusiveness of this worldly life after having seen the devastation. A nauseating stench emanating from decomposed human bodies assailed our noses from the bridge area and all the way thereafter for some time.

We had passed the devastated Mullaitivu town, which was now beyond recognition. Then we returned back and reached the demolished town. When we approached the heart of the Mullaitivu town, we could see the havoc wreaked had completely destroyed the buildings. It was difficult to reconcile that there was a town there earlier.

The Sea Tiger unit of the LTTE cadres at the Junction stopped us. They inquired about our mission, as that was the first time that the AGSEP had come into the heart of the LTTE stronghold in Mullaitivu. I explained to the LTTE officials and they allowed us to proceed to the tsunami-devastated areas. They sent with us a member of the Sea Tiger unit to guide us.

Our vehicles were passing the sandy passage very slowly, following the LTTE cadre who was riding a motorbike. We stopped our vehicles near the beach after passing massive debris of tsunami devastation everywhere in the vicinity. We could hardly see a building, which had withstood the tidal waves. We all stepped down from our vehicles and spoke to the LTTE member who was assisting us about the severity of the devastation.

He told us they were still excavating the dead bodies from a nearby pond, which was once a tiny rainwater reservoir and now turned into a saltwater pond. The tsunami had smitten once again our conscience and posed the question as to why we bothered so much about the outer space wonders than finding solutions to our own world's disorders.

Rajkumar Kanagasingam is the author of the fascinating book - German Memories in Asia......A collection of memories by the author in his discussion with German university students who have been volunteering in Asia on the sensitive issues of Early Human Migration, Asian & European historical events especially the German since the Roman Empire era to the times of First & Second World Wars and about the Germans around the world and their Migrations, Life styles, Encounters and Assimilations since the ancient times, his experiences in an American NGO as an officer in the rebel-held war-torn jungles and then in a tsunami relief mission there with German students, and the German students' life and fashion in Asia....

The book could be ordered at over 30,000 retail outlets world wide & is listed on Amazon.com & more...

More about the book: [http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~41609.aspx]

Some Facts About Tsunamis

We have all recently been under immense shock on what has happened in some of the regions of Asia last December 26, 2004, just a day after a joyous Christmas Celebration on the paradise-like place of Phuket and on the island of Sri Lanka. It was a great tragedy with the toll of dead people reaching about 135,000 now and left many of people injured, homeless and struggling to survive.

Here are some of the facts that you may want to know about Tsunamis:

- Before the first wave of the tsunami hits, the shoreline recedes tremendously and it may even expose the sea or ocean floor and leave a bounty of fishes dry. If you happen to see this, never let your curiosity get the better of you and immediately run to higher ground.

- A tsunami can be a series of waves and mostly the first wave is the less intense of all.

- Tsunamis only affect shallow waters or coastal areas. When tsunamis hit the deep areas of water, it just comes off as an average big ocean wave. The Physics of tsunamis indicate that as it travels into shallow water, its height increases even reaching up to a hundred meters (100 m) in height in extreme cases.

- Earthquakes are not the only causes of Tsunami, Tsunamis can also be generated from meteorites falling on a large body of water, a volcanic eruption, landslide or from any occurence that displaces a large amount of water.

- Animals domestic or wild can almost detect approaching tsunamis. As observed from the Tsunami that hit last Dec. 26, 2004, the statistics of animals that were affected by the Tsunami were very very small and even negligible compared to the human casualties. Scientist and animal experts attribute this to the keen, attuned and senstitive senses of animals as compared to humans.

- Tsunamis can also be earlier detected with a Tsunameter, a device that can detect an approaching Tidal Wave. Unfortunately, only a few countries could afford this device. Sri Lanka has considered of aqcuiring one but that project was not pushed through.

These are just a few facts that you may want to know about Tsunamis. Tsunamis are deadly and may cause destruction of lives, properties, and even an entire place. The best weapon against this kind of unprecedented and unstoppable occurence is a well educated and well informed public so that even if properties may get washed away, lives may still be saved.

Gina Marie Capatar is the head writer of Isnare Outsourcing Services [http://outsourcing.isnare.com] and of Isnare.com - a free articles directory.

She is a technical writer by profession and also does freelance writing jobs for website content. She has done hundreds of Content writing for a variety of websites.

Effects of the Asia Tsunami on Tourism

A tsunami struck out of nowhere going down in history as the most devastating earthquake killing over two hundred thousand people. The coasts of South East Asia had been building popularity with Europeans when this occurred, understandably so tourism dwindled down after this, but not for long.

Some of the more popular vacation spots that were affected the most were Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand, and Indonesia. After the tsunami struck most locations started planning ideas or events to bring tourism back. They knew the travel industry would be affected and wanted to make sure it did not last long.

Sri Lanka one of the hardest hit places came up with an idea they called "Io Vado A Sri Lanka". What they did was get a group together of more than two hundred and seventy people consisting of the Italian media, tour operators and retailers and they toured the island. They visited all their interesting sites on the island.

The idea was that the Italian media would share their experience on the island and would be encouraging people to come visit at the same time. When the tsunami struck South East Asia the tourism industry lost billions of dollars. Immediately after the tsunami the government was encouraging vacationers to stay away from the areas affected.

Fortunately the travel industry was not going to stand for this. They have been working hard since the Tsunami to regain their visitors. Shortly after the Tsunami the Association of Southeast Asian Nations intensified their marketing to gain tourists again. They began to encourage the government to help them assure travelers that this tsunami was an isolated event, something that just does not happen. There was one good thing that came out of this tragedy. With all the media coverage on the tsunami more people became aware of these ideal vacation destinations.

One other thing the travel industry has been doing and will continue doing is giving advisory updates. They are informing the necessary sources of the conditions and improvements of these destinations and encouraging people to visit. By giving updates this will help get tourism back to 100% on the beautiful coasts of South East Asia.

Fortunately for everyone tourists have begun to realize that a tsunami of this magnitude is rare, something that happens once maybe every hundred years and they are not letting it scare them away from enjoying a piece of paradise.

Darren Cronian, is blogger of UK travel blog called Travel Rants where you will find more useful guides and posts dealing with travel consumer issues.

Tsunami Preparation

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning "harbor wave". It is unlike a tidal wave, in that it can start after an earthquake, building momentum under the water as it moved inland, so that a boat out on the water may continue on without occupants realizing the force moving under it towards the shore. It can also be caused by volcano eruptions and landslides.

The people on the coast would be quickly experiencing the effects once the tsunami reaches land. A tsunami is many waves coming in, moving in several hundreds of kilometers or miles per hour under the surface of the ocean. When they reach shallow water they break into very powerful and sometimes gigantic waves, which can occur over a series of hours. You may think the worst is over, when really it is yet to come. This is why leaving the coastal area for inland and higher ground is crucial and going to the shore to keep an eye out could be a mortal decision. You should seek ground 15 meters or 100 feet higher than sea level. The most dangerous of areas is the land one mile within the shore and less then 25 feet above sea level.

 

When an earthquake in December 2004 resulted in a tsunami in the Indian Ocean, the waves that came onto the coastal land were up to 60 feet in some areas. Eleven countries by the Indian Ocean were hit, but the impact of the tsunami was felt around various parts of the world, even as far as Peru. Over 200,000 people lost their lives.

 

Countries and coastal areas have their own set of emergency notification responses from tsunami warnings. They can range from warnings and watches to letting the public know all is clear and the tsunami advisory is now cancelled. Sirens or telephone relays, broadcasts over radio and television are all ways different communities handle tsunami warnings.

 

If you are on a boat when the tsunami warning comes in, plan to leave the inland area of the harbor and head out towards deeper water. If there has been a strong earthquake in the area you are in, it is safer to travel by foot unless you are disabled, as roads could be damaged, trees and bridges could have collapsed, etc.

 

If you have time, take your hopefully prepared emergency survival kit with enough supplies for at least 3 days. Return home or to your original location only when the tsunami warning has been lifted and people have been advised they can return to the coastal area.

Does the daily news make you wonder if you are covering your bases in being prepared for various emergency situations, not only to ensure safety measures for yourself but also your loved ones and pets? If this is one of those topics you put on the back burner, take some time to slot it into your schedule - getting prepared. You'll feel better knowing you are taking precautions and having resources at your disposal. Great peace of mind! For informative information at your fingertips, visit www.emergencydisasterplan.net

Danger in the Pacific - The Samoa Tsunami

With the help of my colleague, Alex Molina, I recently wrote about the realistic danger that tsunamis posed to the west coast of the United States.

I had vastly underestimated the damage a tsunami can do, and the last two days, after reading about the 8.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that followed, I also got to watch the Pacific Ocean's tsunami warning system in action.

In the case of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga, the earthquake's epicenter and aftershocks were in some cases less than 100 miles from the coastlines. This meant that the early warning system had little time to warn anyone. At this time, over 111 people are reported missing or dead from the three Pacific territories, and that count is expected to be considerably higher once emergency personnel make it to hard to access, outlying areas. In some cases, the waves came as far as a mile inland.

From reports from the wire services and people I've talked to in American Samoa, the only immediate warning for the tsunami most people received were the cell phone calls made by forward-thinking family. Common sense dictated that if an earthquake was both near enough and powerful enough to damage buildings, a tsunami was on its way. While many villages were literally swept completely into the Pacific Ocean, most people managed to get to high ground and escaped with their lives.

In the future, these three areas, particularly American Samoa, since it is under jurisdiction of FEMA and the US Government, will have to improve their Tsunami warning system up to the high standard set by the state of Oregon, which includes blue sirens all along the coast, and regularly scheduled tsunami drills in all the public schools.

Now for the good news

Otherwise, the new system in the Pacific seems to be working well. In all fairness, the tsunami that hit American Samoa was practically a point-blank shot and we did not have the benefit of the buoys to warn us of what was coming. Once the tsunami had time to move out and start hitting buoys, however, we had a clear picture of when the waves would hit Hawaii, Japan, the west coast of the United States, and other Pacific area at risk.

Warnings were made well in advance, and ships were able to seek deeper, safer waters, tsunami watches and warnings went into effect, and quickly out of effect, once the NOAA knew the waves had lost considerable power and size and represented little threat.

Even in far away, Venice Beach, California, lifeguards advised people to get out of the water in advance of the waves, and the tsunami showed up right on time. Apparently there wasn't much punch left, but I'm sure the state of California is relieved. Still, the unfortunate and low lying town of Crescent City, California was battered by a 1.5 foot peak over normal tides - a size comparable to the largest waves to hit Hawaii after the quake. State officials, knowing the town's vulnerability to tsunamis, were able to take the right precautions, however, and other than a scare to the local fish, no one was harmed and no property damage was reported.

Putting this into perspective

As we speak, a much deadlier weather event has left over 300 dead and thousands homeless, as Typhoon Ketsana has slammed into the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. As much as 80% of Manila is underwater. A second quake hit Indonesia today, a 7.6 magnitude quake, scaring everyone up into the hills. Considering it was an 8.0 quake in the same area that prompted the 2004 Tsunami of infamy, I can't say they overreacted. If I felt a strong earthquake on any coastline, I would hightail it at least a mile into the hills as well.

The tsunami that resulted from it was less that a foot, smaller than what hit Hawaii or Crescent City, California from the Samoa earthquake. Officials were able to call off the warnings and people soon returned to their normal lives.

In the world of extreme weather events, we can only still guess at exactly what a hurricane will do or where it will go. This is true of many weather events, be they floods, tornadoes, even a wildfire. Earthquakes are the worst of all, and give no warning, but unless you are close to the epicenter, tsunamis are at least predictable in the Pacific, thanks to the work of the US and Japanese governments.

At this point in time, we have the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, headquartered in Hawaii, that watches all the tidal buoys in the Pacific Ocean at all times and gives us a very clear picture of what is going on out there. While they can't do much to warn of a tsunami when it first starts it's trek from the ocean floor, they certainly can track it within a few minutes of when it will land.

My heart goes out to the victims of Typhoon Ketsana and the recent Samoan tsunami, but I'm relieved that our relatively new typhoon tracking system has seen it's first real test.

Many scientists agree that at some point in the 21st century, we will see a quake and tsunami on the scale of the Cascadian Tsunami from 300 years ago. Without a working warning system in place, the results could be far worse than the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.

Now that our tidal warning system has seen a full dress rehearsal, I feel much better about being prepared if the big one does indeed come.

For those who are interested, you can read my writeup from last week, Tsunamis in America: Can They Happen Here? Part 1.

Ryan W. Campbell is an assistant editor for the newly launched Pameno.com. You can read more of his work there.

Ryan is from the Texas Gulf Coast and is a 16 year veteran of the United States Navy. He's a fan of motorcycles, extreme weather, camping, and fishing.

What To Do When Tsunami Attacks?

Year 2004 was an unforgettable year for Southeast Asian citizens. A very powerful tidal wave hit certain areas that resulted from destruction and left awful scenarios for the casualties. Over 200,000 people died in just a moment and unfortunately some bodies were never recovered and identified.

This is just one of the many recorded tsunami attacks from recent years and even centuries. It happened not just in the vicinities of the Pacific, but also in Indian and Atlantic Ocean, which brought up many into worry.

Way back 1600 B.C., until the recent happening in the island of Indonesia where more than 600 people were killed, tsunami has just brought up many people's lives into pain and suffering.

When an underground earthquake caused by plate collisions occurs in a certain area, a warning will be sent out to coastal teams as the possibilities of having tsunami is big. Warnings are sent out to any local authorities to inform civilians.

Tsunami attacks cannot be predicted up to what specific place. But since the Pacific area is known as the world's rim of fire, there is a bigger chance that tsunami can strike next to countries around it, which makes these countries conduct several preparations in case such awful disaster happens.

The main problem associated with some countries that suffered much is that they don't plan ahead of time. Tsunami can be unpredictable sometimes but the fact that these countries are near to coastal areas and places, which are prone to big tidal waves, should be a hint for them to prepare.

There should be a system that will effectively warn everybody to prepare for the coming tsunami. This alert system, which composes of information, watch, advisory, and warning, should be implemented.

Once an underground earthquake is detected, a firm called Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii will send out information to the countries along the area.

Although the specific place of impact is not yet clearly identified, they will still send out advisory to the possible regions that might be attacked by the tsunami.

It may take hours for the effects of the underground earthquake to happen but this signals everyone that there's a possibility for a tsunami to attack. With this, people along the coastal areas must watch over the water movement.

If something unusual is seen and there is water withdraw, then an immediate evacuation should take place.

One signal to inform everyone of the evacuation is via siren. The siren will start to sound at interval times three hours to half an hour before tsunami impacts.

By this time, everyone should begin packing and evacuating. One safe place is to go to higher grounds far from the danger zone. There should be emergency kits along with you once you packed out.

These include: food, water and clothing. Radio, as well, is important for you to know if it is safe already to go down.

People should watch out for further news about tsunami. If nothing happened, it is always safe to take consultation to the authorities and make sure that it is already safe to go back.

Coordination is one important thing that everyone, especially those near to tsunami-prone regions, should have. It is always better to be safe than sorry. Devastated structures and properties can still be replaced but a life cannot be returned.

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Safety Tips When Tsunami Strikes

Tsunami has become one of the most devastating calamities this nature has. The recent record of an awful attack hits Asia and citizens living in the area have become aware of the possible danger tsunami can give.

Tsunami is the product of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other tectonic displacements on the seafloor. Tsunami will develop if earthquakes reached an intensity of 6.5 magnitudes or more. Its wave speed average is 300 mph that will last from five minutes to one hour.

People living in coastal areas are at risk of the tsunami attack. Places next to the Pacific's Rim of fire and some other countries like Hawaii, Alaska, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are some tsunami-prone spots.

Tsunami is one destructive force that can destroy everything and it has enough power to kill human lives in just a second. To avoid this from happening, people and travelers in coastal areas should have an urgent response regarding the said calamity.

Local government must have strategic plans ahead of the possible tsunami attack to avoid higher number of casualties.

Tsunami can be detected if earthquake is felt. This will alarm the coastal teams to send out advisories to the countries near the area. There may be no specific target place but an emergency preparation must be considered.

People in the coastline must observe carefully the water movement. If there's water withdraw then an immediate evacuation must be done.

Run to a safe place as much as you can and get updated by your local radio station or television for further advisories. An advice will be released massively and this will let you know when to act safely.

For families, it is important to have a meeting place safe and far from the shore. Each of them must be informed about what to do in a tsunami situation.

For family members with special needs like infants, elderly people and relatives with disabilities, an early response should be done. Bringing necessary things such as ID, medicine, food and water supply, few clothing and batteries is barely important as well.

Consider life as the first priority in your list. Never attempt to bring along with you heavy equipment in your house once you evacuate as this can cause you to evacuate slowly. You should not have the disappointment of loosing your things.

Though it might upset you but at least you have save life, which is more valuable than any material things.

If you're trap in an incoming wave, the best way to do is to go to the highest place of the nearest structure like rooftop of your house or tree. Hold on tight to anything that is strong enough to brace you and never let go.

Tsunami may seem disastrous but can be avoided if you will consider emergency preparations. Just always seek advices and updates from the government and local teams to get you updated about the tsunami's condition.

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Tsunami Aftermath

On December 26, 2004 a massive tsunami swept through Thailand killing thousands of people, and changing the lives of thousands more. Although the Tsunami happened months ago, we are still feeling the affects of it today.

The massive destruction that occurred because of the tsunami has a huge impact today. Thousands of villagers in Thailand who live on a very low income to begin with lost all they had in the tsunami, as the water took it away or destroyed it altogether. These are villagers who are having an incredibly hard time now trying to scrape by and replace what it is the tsunami took from them.

Agriculturally Thailand was hit very bad with the tsunami as well. Where water was reported to have traveled 7-8 miles inland farms are suffering loss of crops and livestock, as the salt that remains on their fields isn't producing the crops that are needed to support themselves and their families.

Because of the change in the environment around Thailand, rivers are emptying more quickly into the ocean, which is going to become a problem for farmers as far as irrigating their fields, and providing water for their livestock to drink.

Another result that I think is often overlooked, is the amount of pollutants that were deposited into the waves went over the land. This can include substances like gasoline and oil, and other dangerous chemicals.

This is only a short look at some of the effects that the great tsunami is having in Thailand and in other parts around the world. I would urge you to become more informed on the situation and learn what it is that you can do to get involved, and to assist in the recovery of these nations.

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the following caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Tsunami Area [http://www.tsunami-area.com]. Which is a great web directory and information center on the tsunami in Thailand and around the world.

The Asian Tsunami Opened Waves of Love

When something terrible as the biggest tsunami happens to so many people so suddenly, one of two reactions occurs: Either you feel the world is a terrible place where the innocent suffer and disaster awaits around the corner--or you realize that this entire world show is designed to teach us love.

While we can't even begin to fathom the meaning of the recent tsunami, it was a massive wakeup call for the entire planet.

The Tsunami waves also created waves within us to open up our hearts and respond as best we knew. We expressed it as best we could through prayers, through our pocketbook, and through sharing our deep concern. What it did for us was teach us love.

We realized that we're all in this experience called life together and that when anyone suffers everyone feels the echo. We share a common humanity.

Other disasters have happened very recently--the constant slaughter of human beings for idealism, religion, and nationalism--but we lost touch with our compassion, our minds blinded by judgment, fear, and prejudice.

But with the asian tsunami, we had to face our humanity and its fickle nature without any buffers. The tsunami images shook our habitual self-absorption and our innate narcissism.

Still judgment happened. People decided to blame God or nature. People decided that it happened elsewhere and that little could be done about it. Others became absorbed in tsunami facts.

Nevertheless, hearts opened, money, rescue attempts, and prayers suddenly escalated. And for a brief moment, we began to feel like a single humanity; across the globe, we became one race, one country, and one people.

Our illusory boundaries melted as we gazed at video clips of tsunamis.

All of us can relate in one way to disaster, and when we saw it happen on such a large scale, it opened up our hearts.

When we learned to love, we learned to give, and when we learned to do what God would do if he were a human being, we learned who and what we are.

In the end, it's all about love.

In loving, we become truly ourselves. We discover a power for good we never knew existed. And we discover that we are one consciousness existing in many bodies.

Tsunami aid is also aid to our closed hearts.

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Saleem Rana got his masters in psychotherapy from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, Ca., 15 years ago and now resides in Denver, Colorado. His articles on the internet have inspired over ten thousand people from around the world. Discover how to create a remarkable life

Copyright 2005 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass this article on to your friends, or use it in your ezine or newsletter. It's a shareware article.

How Safe Would a Boat Be During a Tsunami?

I recently completed an article about the possibility of using a boat in place of a vehicle for your BOV. In the same article I stressed that one of the major downfalls of this idea was the possibility of Tsunami's occurring. Since this possibility is a real threat I thought it would be best to follow up and discus this issue in a bit more detail.

The NOAA has stated that since tsunami activity is increased greatly in the open seas there are certain cautions you should observe. As a pilot aboard an ocean vessel you should never attempt to return to your home port or any port for that matter if you are already at sea and the authorities have issued a warning in your area. The problem with Tsunamis is that they can quickly change the water levels and produce unpredictable and dangerous currents within boat docking areas. As the owner of a boat it would be in your best interests to maneuver your vessels further out towards the sea assuming there is time to do so. Generally people are forbidden from remaining on their boats when notification are issued for an approaching tsunamis.

Do not be misled by thinking that this ocean phenomenon only occurs in places such as the Asian theater or the surround locations of the Indian Ocean, for you would be falsely assuming. During the 1985 mainland earthquake that devastated Mexico City a tsunami was generated shortly after. In Nicaragua in 92 the town of Popoyo was completely wiped out along with 300 deaths as a result of a tsunami. The town of Pisco in Peru has been destroyed at least four times in the last five centuries by tsunamis. This tells me that no place is safe from a possible tsunami.

Several governmental agencies including FEMA and NOAA have increased their awareness of the possibility of a tsunami appearing along the United States coastal areas. It was this concern that initiated the program intended to predict the tsunamis arrival. As the tsunami begins crossing the ocean it passes over a series of sensitive recorders located on the sea floor. These instruments measure the various pressure changes felt in the ocean waters overhead. This information is then relayed to data satellites and ultimately transmitted to NOAA warning centers.

Even though we have all this sophisticated equipment a person still has to use common sense in making decisions. As an individual, in the event that you receive word of an exceptionally strong earthquake occurring in your vicinity do not remain there and wait for the official tsunami warning. Immediately get out of the way. If you are on land move to higher ground. If at sea in your boat you should do your best to reach some sort of shore however in the event that is impossible move to a safer location afloat and hold on tight.

Accounts from the logs and interviews with ship captains who have sailed over a particular region when an earthquake occurs have reported that they felt as if their ship had been hit by a pile of rocks. although in reality the ship was thousands of feet above the water. There were consistent reports of violent shaking as well as loud sounds of booming. This is a result of energy being radiated from the center of the earthquake in the form of what is called compression waves. These waves are similar to sound waves but as the compression waves strike the bottom of the vessel they bounce off and cause shaking.

In the event that you are a good distance from the earthquake you can expect that the tsunami was actually generated and you will eventually be hit by it. This results in your boat being at the mercy of the rising and falling of the sea current level. If you are at your dock the boat may hit the bottom of the sea or on the other hand float up until your anchor line is stretched to its max. Therefore the safest place would be in deeper water of perhaps 150 feet or more.

I have merely touched upon the subject in this short article and recommend that you contact your local coast guard unit for additional learning material. The USGS has published a pamphlet entitled "Surviving a Tsunami, the Lessons from Chile, Hawaii, and Japan" which is well worth reviewing.

How safe would a boat be during a Tsunami?

By Joseph Parish

Copyright @2010 Joseph Parish

www.survival-training.info

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info.

Surviving a Tsunami - The Samoa Experience in October 2009

If I think about surviving a tsunami I also think it will happen to somebody else -- not me. But on 2 October 2009 Samoan families and foreign tourists were shocked and shattered by the speed of the tsunami that roared over the reefs, lagoons and low, flat, plains of villages and resorts on the south coast of Upolu island. Drowned. Dead. Missing. Destroyed. Every family, local and tourist, lost something. One local family lost 35 members to drownings and injuries. How do you survive a tsunami.

Can you survive a tsunami?

It depends. You have to get to a location that is out of reach of the tsunami. You can be out of reach by getting to ground that is high enough. You can also be so far inland, on flat terrain, away from the coast, that a tsunami's force will be exhausted before it reaches your location.

In 2004 thousands of Bali citizens and tourists were drowned, or otherwise killed, by a huge tsunami that swamped hundreds of kilometers of Bali's coastline. Nevertheless some tourists and locals survived by running inland, along with wildlife, far enough to escape the full force of the Bali tsunami. Those survivors were lucky. So were some of the Samoa tsunami survivors in October 2009. Some survived despited the tsunami catching them on the flat, coastal, plains of Samoa's Upolu island. They survived by sheer good luck because -- along with those who were killed -- they were caught by the full force of the tsunami and somehow managed to hold onto a tree or object without being fatally injured by tumbling cars, trees, concrete, logs and other flotsam in the roiling waters.

A typical wave of water is like any wave in that it has an amplitude (distance from top of crest to bottom of trough) and a frequency (number of crests passing a fixed point in one second). In normal weather conditions you can count the waves coming onto a beach. Some waves are small. Some waves are big (that is they have a large amplitude). During one minute, sometimes 30 waves will break on the beach. This means the frequency is 30 waves divided by 60 seconds which equals 0.5 waves per second. At other times you might see 60 waves break on a beach -- in one minute. Then the frequency would be 1 wave per second. The greater the frequency the more the number of waves.

A tsunami's destructive force is caused by its extremely low frequency. For example, a tsunami wave that takes three minutes to pass fixed point will have a frequency of 1 wave divided by 180 seconds which equals 1/180 waves per second. That is a very long wave. It contains a lot of water. Tonnes of water. Tsunami observers and survivors call it "a wall of water." In one minute the weight of water passing a fixed point is 160 tonnes if the water is a one meter wide wall of water that is one meter high and moving at 1 kilometer per hour. If the same wall of water is 100 meters wide then 16,00 tonnes of water will land on the beach in one minute. If the wall of water is 100 meters wide and moving at 10 kilometers per hour (not 1 km/hr) then the same 100 meters wide (and 1 meter deep) wall of water will throw 160,000 tonnes of water onto the beach in one minute. That is a lot of water and the associated force will pulverise most things in its path. Also, that much water will roll inland, from the beach, a long way. The faster the tsunami wave travels as it lands on a beach, and the larger its amplitude, and the lower its frequency, the greater the destructive force.

I think you get the picture.

For example in the October 2009 Samoa tsunami many locals and tourists were still recovering from the magnitude 8.0 earthquake that shook the region. Barely ten minutes passed after the start of the quake. One Australian couple, holidaying on the south coast of Samoa's Upolu island had been shaken severely in their resort accommodation. Husband and wife made their way to the resort carpark so as to avoid falling debris during the earthquake. The tsunami caught the couple in the carpark. The husband hung onto his wife. As they tumbled in the roiling waters, the husband caught hold of a tree but lost his grip on his wife. She drowned. In the same tsunami on a tiny island, more of an islet, a few hundred meters off the shore at another resort on Upolu's south coast, a Kiwi school party had scrambled to high ground during the magnitude 8.0 quake. The party watched the tsunami sweep past their island and take all their possessions from the camp site.

A Radio New Zealand crew member described his experience of sudden fear and shock as he got up from a reclining position after watching water drain out of the big lagoon next to his beach-side hut. The crew member yelled "RUN," as he ran for his life away from the beach. Some of the people in other huts were caught. The run to high ground was not easy. There was a lot of vegetation in the way. Later, in the aftermath of the October 2009 tsunami, Samoans and locals on Upolu recounted their shock and grief. One local family lost four generations of members. One Kiwi family lost one child and re-gained two; all had been swept out to sea. Survivors, locals, Samoan police, New Zealand Army and Navy, Australian Army and Navy, worked for weeks to find the dead and drowned.

So, can you survive a tsunami. It depends. If the tsunami catches you by surprise then your survival chances are limited. Even if you are, somewhat, prepared but the vegetation and other obstacles are difficult for you to pass then your chances are limited. On the other hand, you can get lucky. Some locals were caught by the Samoan tsunami and got lucky. One woman, tossed about in the waters, caught hold of pole in the ground. She survived. And old man caught hold of a palm tree and survived. Others were not so fortunate.

Ulu Aiono, born in Samoa, is the entrepreneurial founder of Soifua Village Polynesia which owns the online business at http://www.hula-with-me.com/hula-muumuu-dress.html.

Fat Tsunami - How to Avoid This Recurring Unnatural Disaster

Every day millions of people experience the dreaded fat tsunami.

The sad fact is some people experience the fat tsunami so often they begin to accept it as normal. When I say fat tsunami I'm not talking about the ocean either. Some people may be used to this phenomenon and not even know it occurring. If someone does not notice it, when they do, the fat tsunami can be a life changing event.

The fat tsunami is when you feel the waves of fat all over your body.

The magnitude of the fat tsunami is different for every person and no one is immune.

As personal trainer, fitness enthusiast and bodybuilder I go through bulking and cutting phases throughout the year. The last bulking phase I was eating a lot, getting stronger and gaining what I thought was muscle.

My bulking phase came to an abrupt end.

A client was punching and kicking me during kickboxing training and I felt an unusual phenomenon. The reverberations from the kicking and punching on the kicking pad went through my body and caused the dreaded fat tsunami. I felt shaking of the subcutaneous fat which is fat under the skin. This put an end to my bulking cycle. The next week I did cardio every day and changed my diet to eat fewer calories and more fresh fruits and vegetables. I could not handle another fat tsunami.

If this can happen to a fitness enthusiast and personal trainer it can happen to anyone.

One of my most successful clients cites the fat tsunami for giving him the motivation to change the shape of his body. He was riding in a car on a bumpy road and noticed something which particularly bothered him. You guessed it; he was experiencing a fat tsunami all over his body. The next day he found my website, started a personal training program and joined weight watchers. Forty five pounds later he still remembers the feeling of the fat tsunami which he gives credit for controlling his diet and motivating him to continue his exercise program.

Does exercise stop the dreaded fat tsunami?

Whether you are obviously overweight or not so overweight but still experience symptoms of the fat tsunami there is much you can do about it. The first rather obvious solution is to start exercising. Weight training increases your metabolism. Cardiovascular training can burn off excess calories in the way of fat. A combination of the 2 is a superb way of synergistically increasing results.

It takes proper nutrition will stop the fat tsunami in its tracks.

Nutrition is even more important than exercise if you want to stop the fat tsunami. If you are not significantly overweight you may simply be retaining extra water due to excess sodium intake. Sometimes this retained water can make you feel as if you are fat even though you are not. You also may be bloated. This could be caused by eating something which does not agree with you or something you are unknowingly allergic to.

If you are overweight the next time you feel the fat tsunami let it serve as a warning sign. If you do not clean up your diet and start exercising you increase the risk of developing adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease among other problems. This article is meant to be fun, but I assure you having hypertension, atherosclerosis and diabetes is no laughing matter.

About the Author:

San Francisco Personal Trainer Michael Behnken, MS, NASM-CPT-PES, CSCS - http://AskTheTrainer.com

What Is a Tsunami And What Causes It?

A series of great sea waves generated by sudden underwater disturbances that displace a large volume of water mass from its equilibrium position is referred to as a tsunami. Tsunamis typically occur in oceans and seas but can occur in large lakes as well. Tsunami is not just one wave but the so-called "a wave train" - a series of waves that can be as long as 60 miles which may even sounds like a freight train.

Tsunamis are most often triggered by massive changes to the sea floor. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, explosions, underwater nuclear tests and, more rarely, impacts of cosmic bodies, such as meteorites or asteroids, i.e. any disturbance above or below the sea floor, have the potential to generate a tsunami. This usually happens when the sea floor abruptly deforms. The water above the deformed area is displaced from its equilibrium position and may cause the sea to rise vertically as high as 100 feet (30 meters). Tectonic earthquakes are a typical kind of underwater disturbance that displaces the overlying water mass which, under the influence of gravity, tends to regain its balance. This unexpected movement of the water creates a series of powerful waves. Subduction earthquakes are vertical movements of the earth's crust at plate boundaries and the slipping of oceanic plates under continental plates may also trigger a tsunami. Large earthquakes are often followed by submarine landslides that can disturb the overlaying water, too. Tsunamis may also be generated by submarine volcanic eruptions as well as by collapses of volcanic edifices. Underwater nuclear testing can trigger tsunamis but underground testing can trigger them as well. Unlike these, supermarine landslides and cosmic body impacts disturb the water from above. However, the tsunamis generated this way dissipate quickly and rarely affect coastlines distant from the source area.

Tsunamis generated in the deep ocean can sometimes be unnoticed on the surface. They can cross an entire ocean in a single day at speeds up to 500 mph (800 kmph) without losing much energy. Once a tsunami reaches the shore, its power is devastating. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 is said to have a devastating power of 23,000 atomic bombs. However, the first wave may not be the most dangerous. The waves can be several minutes to an hour apart and the danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of the first wave.

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Can You Outrun a Tsunami

Try to imagine a solid block of ocean hundreds of miles long, 3 miles deep, and as wide as the coastline, coming toward you at 500 to 600 miles an hour. That describes a tsunami in deep water racing toward land. A tsunami's speed slows as it encounters the coastline but the total water mass is still moving at 20 to 25 mph just before surging ashore. Maybe a world class distance runner who runs a 4- minute mile can stay ahead of an oncoming tsunami, but most of us are not world class runners. If it comes down to a race, the tsunami will win and the runner will lose almost every time. A tsunami rolling onshore is massive, powerful, and destroys everything in its path.

A major tsunami can start when sudden slippage occurs in a seafloor fault, triggering a major earthquake in the magnitude 8.0 to 9.0 range, and causing the seafloor on one side of the fault to sink and on the other to uplift, all in a matter of minutes. The earthquake plus the radical seafloor deformation displaces vast amounts of water, upsets the ocean's equilibrium, and sets a tsunami in motion.

A tsunami produced by this kind of event will tend to have long wavelengths, deep water columns, and high rates of travel speed. A wavelength is the distance between the crest of one wave and the crest of its trailing wave. The speed is determined by the ratio of the depth of the ocean to the length of the wave. The deeper the water and the longer the wave, the faster the tsunami moves. For example, a major earthquake and seafloor deformation at a depth of 20,000 ft. can initiate a tsunami with a wavelength of 175 miles, a water column depth of 15,000 ft., and a speed of between 500 and 600 miles an hour.

To illustrate the gradual drop in tsunami speed, when the depth decreases to 13,000 feet, the 15,000 ft. water column begins to drag the bottom, the wave length shortens to about 130 miles, and the speed drops to around 440 mph. At 6500 ft. depth, the wavelength shortens to less than 100 miles and the speed drops to around 300 mph. At 150 ft. depth, the wavelength reduces to 30 miles and the speed to approximately 100 mph. In 30 feet of water just before surging onshore, the wavelength is down to 6 miles and the tsunami's speed is 20 to 25 mph.

The height of the wave on the ocean's surface in deep water will tend to be only 2 to 3 feet and hardly noticeable among the normal ocean swells. A tsunami will usually pass unnoticed under the keel of a boat or ship in mid ocean, even though the wave may be as high as 100 feet when it surges onshore.

When the water depth decreases and the leading edge of the wave slows, the following wave at the tail end of the long trough is still traveling at a higher speed and rapidly closes the gap. The height of the tsunami increases dramatically as it nears shore due to compression from shoaling and from the rapidly closing trailing wave, and may be squeezed up to 100 feet high when it hits the beach. The 100-ft. towering wall of water is most often associated with shallow bays and narrow inlets where the tsunami acts like a giant tidal bore. On a broad beach type of coastline, the tsunami tends to come ashore as a rapidly rising sea. Along the broad beaches of Sumatra, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, the 2004 Indonesian tsunami produced a sudden 30-ft. rise in sea level that surged onto land so quickly that few could get away. Over 225,000 people died in 8 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

Following the magnitude 9.1 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004, in areas east of the epicenter Sumatra and Sri Lanka the trough of the first tsunami wave reached land ahead of the crest. When the trough arrives first, a phenomenon called drawdown occurs. If recognized, it can act as a warning for people in the area to move to higher ground before the tsunami hits. When drawdown happens, the sea level appears to sink and the tide recedes rapidly, leaving hundreds of yards of empty ocean bottom exposed. The drawdown is followed almost immediately by the oncoming crest and accompanying sudden rise in sea level as the tsunami charges full blown onto land. In areas west of the epicenter Thailand and India the crest and sudden rise in sea level struck first, without warning.

Since a tsunami tends to be made up of several waves, called a train, the waves in the train can hit at intervals of up to a half hour or more, depending on the length of the trough. The first wave to hit land is not always the largest. Frequently, it is the second or third wave that will prove to be the most destructive.

The distance a tsunami can travel inland once it hits the coast depends on the size of the wave and the slope of the land. The size of the wave is expressed as runup, a term meaning the height of the wave over mean high tide. In flat, low-lying areas, a major tsunami with a runup of 30 feet or more can reach areas 2 miles or more from the shoreline with devastating power.

If you are on or near the coastline when a tsunami warning is issued by your local authorities, follow evacuation directions and clear the area immediately. If you hang around to see how big the wave is, and then try to outrun it, you are almost certain to lose the race and your life.

Award-winning author Gordon Gumpertz is a former advertising agency owner and copywriter, a member of the Palm Springs Writers Guild, a UCLA graduate, and an instrument-rated private pilot. A native Californian, he lives with his wife Jenny in Palm Desert, California, only a few miles from the San Andreas Fault, where the Pacific Plate collides with the North American Plate. For more information about the author and his book TSUNAMI, visit http://www.tsunaminaturaldisaster.com/

Emergency Preparedness For A Tsunami - Being Prepared To Face The Wrath Of The Sea!

In 2004, a powerful tsunami washed over coastal areas in Southeast Asia, extending all the way to Africa's west coast. The tsunami took more than 200,000 lives, and some people were never recovered or identified. Much of this loss might have been avoided had an effective emergency preparedness system been in place.

The 2004 tsunami may have been the most deadly in recorded history, but it was not the first - 25 of them were recorded in the 20th Century alone. And while many of them have happened in the South Pacific, tsunamis have been recorded all over the world, from Japan to Chile, from Italy to to the United Kingdom. New Zealand's geologic record documents a tsunami 125,000 years ago,and written history documents these disasters as early as 1580 B.C. (following the Santorini volcano).

Until very recently, scientists have not been able to predict when and where a tsunami will strike, making emergency preparedness very difficult. Caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides on the sea floor, today we can make and educated guess about when they will happen after such an event.

Today, regions at high risk may use a tsunami warning system to warn people before the wave reaches coastal areas. Computer models are used to predict the time and location of impact Until now, the exact location where tsunamis will strike cannot yet be predicted. But once an underground earthquake occurs, an alert is sent to coastal communities that something could go in that direction. Emergency preparedness efforts are more likely to succeed when these alerts are timely.

The famous "Ring of Fire," where many volcanoes have occurrred along the lines where tectonic plates meet in the Asian Pacific, was not adequately protected by an early warning system in 2004. This was a valuable lesson for coastal areas around the world, and scientists are working hard to prepare for future events in that area.

Emergency preparedness for tsunamis begins with early warning systems that include four elements: information, advisory, watch, and warning. When the system detects an underground earthquake, Hawaii's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center releases the news to the effected communities. Because it is too early to predict the size, time, or location of the potential tsunami at this stage, a more general advisory will be delivered to likely targets. It may take hours from the seismic event to the actual tsunami.

Where evidence suggests that a tsunami is likely but hasn't been witnessed or verified, early warning systems issue a watch alerting populations to the likelihoood. Emergency preparedness plans dictate that, at this time, people in coastal areas should be alert and watch the sea for signs, like a quick receding of ocean waters, that a tsunami is on its way. A siren may be used to alert the people, anywhere from three hours before the event is expected. If the water does begin to recede, a mandatory evacuation will begin.

Once a tsunami has been seen and verified, they issue a warning with more detailed information about where and when the giant wave will hit. A siren will again alert people. Once a warning is issued, people should already be moving out of the danger zone. They can go to high ground or try to go farther inland, taking fresh water, food, and extra clothing with them as they go. Part of the emergency preparedness effort includes announcements that will be made over the radio telling them when it's safe to return.

The early warning system continues to work during and after the event. People will remain in the area to monitor the situation and to cancel the warning if the tsunami does not materialize.

World leaders now recognize how important emergency preparedness is to potential tsunami victims. They encourage community leaders to develop plans and conduct exercises so that they know how long it will take to evacuate vulnerable areas. They should also have current estimates on the number of people in the area so that they'll know if people are missing after the crisis has passed.

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German Memory In Asia - A Tsunami Mission On The Shores Of Bay Of Bengal

While I was approaching the edge of the Indian Ocean, I observed there were some sea gulls speedily hurrying from sea to land. I was terrified thinking that another tsunami was approaching us. Though I didn't feel any strong quake, I was aware that an earthquake can trigger killer waves thousands of miles across the ocean and could generate hours later the tsunami waves.

I observed closely the Indian Ocean to see whether there was a difference since an approaching tsunami is preceded by a noticeable fall in the water level. A big wave was on its way.

I had heard of stories how people were killed, when they went down to the beach to view the retreating ocean exposing the sea floor unaware that the strange phenomenon was a forerunner of killer waves. I made a quick retreat to a nearby high ground. When I turned and looked at the German Praktikum (Internship) students they were at a distance discussing something with some locals.

The tsunami expert's recent statement that a receding ocean may give only five minutes' warning to evacuate the area has started to bristle within me, because tsunamis can approach the shore as fast as 100 miles per hour. I realized it would be too late to see the wave and then confirm whether the tsunami was on the way.

Though I moved back to the ruined high ground, I started to observe again the ocean movements. There were no receding waters but large waves had come towards the shore. It was so horrific to think that many of the tsunami victims were seen being swept out to sea when the ocean retreated.

A tsunami surge may be small at one point of the shore and large at another point a short distance away. I didn't want to assume that this was a minimal sign of a tsunami and was trapped by the retreating tsunami flood later on from other directions. I further went near the high ground and approached the place where the German students were. I was comparatively in a safe place and a little relieved from the tsunami fear. I observed a number of wrecked boats were on the ruined buildings.

As tsunami wave activity is imperceptible in the open ocean, if those vessels had not returned to port they might have escaped that fatal end. The way the boats had been flung to the interior of the land and the extent of the wreckage frightened me how the tsunami can cause rapid changes in water level unpredictably with dangerous currents and cause massive destruction in the harbor and port areas. If the fishermen had the right information on time and took their vessels out to sea, they might have saved their lives and boats as well.

The Pacific Ocean is fixed with sensitive recorders on the sea floor to measure pressure changes in the overhead water, sending the information to sensors on buoys, which, in turn, relay the data to satellites for immediate transmission to warning centers. As there was no warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean, the tsunami eluded and caused the worst disaster in the history of the Indian Ocean Rim countries.

We moved towards the narrow lane, which was now everywhere covered with the sand and debris. We found it difficult to determine whether the lane through which we were walking was a busy thoroughfare just a few days ago. We were roaming over the ruined buildings and then walked along the beach. It was difficult to reconcile to the fact that a once flourishing heavily populated coastal hamlet had been annihilated in just a few minutes. Meanwhile the German T.V. crew was busy, documenting those devastations.

The LTTE member who was familiar with that area pointed at a ruined road and told us it was a marine drive earlier, linking the coastal areas. He told how the sea had made incursions into the land.

The tectonic plates at the bottom of the southern Andaman - Nicobar Island had been shifted upward and the seabed subsequently. The tectonic plate movement and the tsunami tidal waves are not new to this world. Tectonic plate movements have taken place for billions of years resulting in tidal waves as well when they emit energy out to the surface as massive earthquakes. Turning my direction towards the north, I was reminded of how some thousand years ago the city of Poompoogar was sunk by tidal waves.

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Tsunami Warning Signs

Awareness of Tsunami Warning Signs is vital when travelling through or living in tsunami prone areas. An earthquake is a natural tsunami warning. If you feel a strong quake, do not stay in a place where you may be exposed to a tsunami. Listen to the radio or television for any information or alerts. If you are subscribed to TsunamiSMS make sure your mobile phone is always switched on and that the ring tone is loud enough to hear, even when you are asleep. If you have not yet taken the precaution to subscribe to TsunamiSMS, click here.

Witnesses have reported that an approaching tsunami is sometimes preceded by a noticeable fall or rise in the water level. If you see the ocean receding unusually rapidly or far it's a sign that a big wave may be on its way. Go to high ground immediately or make your way at least five kilometers inland.

Remember that a tsunami is a series of waves and that the first wave may not be the most dangerous. The danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of the first wave. A tsunami wave train may come as a series of surges that are five minutes to an hour apart. The cycle may be marked by a repeated retreat and advance of the ocean. Stay out of danger until you hear it is safe.

A tsunami surge may be small at one point of the shore and large at another point a short distance away. Do not assume that because there is minimal sign of a tsunami in one place it will be like that everywhere else.

Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean.

Subscribe to a Tsunami SMS Warning System to protect yourself and your loved ones.

David Willis is the owner and founder of TsunamiSMS.com, a unique SMS tsuanmi warning system. Following the recent devastating Asian tsunamis, David was appalled at the death, injury, suffering and damages. Believing that something major needed to be done and could be done to save lives, he created his unique website giving subscribers, anywhere in the world, the opportunity to receive an accurate tsunami warning message in the form of a mobile/cell phone SMS. For more information, log onto http://www.TsunamiSMS.com.

Surviving A Tsunami - Tips To Prepare For A Tsunami Alert

Until December 2004, most of us thought of tsunamis as the makings of a good disaster movie, if we knew what "tsunami" meant at all. But with the awful devastation of 2004, we realized how much damage a tsunami can do.

What a Tsunami Is

Tsunamis are not large tropical storms caused by high winds. They are the result of undersea geological events like volcanoes, landslides, or earthquakes that occur with massive tectonic displacements. Earthquakes that reach 6.5 or above (Richter scale) can produce devastating waves that move at up to 300 miles per hour, reach heights of 100 feet, and last from several minutes to several hours from first wave to last surge.

In the open sea, the tsunami may not be noticeable, but when they enter shallower waters, the begins to "pile up" on itself, creating a massive wave that can destroy tall buildings and even travel inland for miles with great power.

Where Tsunamis Strike

Coastal areas in the Pacific Ocean basin are the most frequent targets of tsunamis, reflecting the greater vulnerability related to the famous "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates meet to form a great circle on the sea floor. Japan has experienced many tsunamis. In fact, tsunami is a Japanese word. They've also hit Alaska and Hawaii in the Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the Atlantic basin.

The Indian Ocean area has experienced many tsunamis as well, the 2004 tsunami taking more than 250,000 lives and destroying billions of dollars in property.

Preparing for a Tsunami Emergency

If you are in the water and feel a strong earthquake, leave the water immediately, getting as far from the beach as you can. Try to go to high ground, or go inland as far as possible if the ground near you is flat.

If you can see the incoming wave, you can't escape it. You simply don't have time. The best thing to do in that case is to get as high as you can as quickly as you can.

If you sense a strong earthquake and you are not at the beach, tune your radio to a local station that broadcasts during emergencies. They will notify the public in case a tsunami watch or warning has been issued, and they will let you know where emergency relief centers are.

At this point, you should know where your family members are. Make sure everyone knows about the alert. You should have an agreed-upon meeting place in case you're not all in the same place when the emergency is announced. Your meeting location should be as far from the shore as possible but not so far that people can't get to it in time.

Be sure to prepare for family members with special needs. If your family includes elderly, ill, or small children, be prepared to have help for them or try to evacuate them early. You may also want to prepare to evacuate your pets as well, bringing emergency food and water for them.

You should have prepared emergency supplies in your home. Bring them with you when you evacuate. At least take fresh water, some food, and extra clothing. Most important, have a first aid kit in case of injuries.

If you have time, you might try to secure your house, but not at the risk of your own life. There is little you can do to protect your possessions from an incoming tsunami, so focus on saving lives first.

Tsunami Watch or Tsunami Warning

The two terms have important different meanings. When authorities issue a tsunami watch, it means that a tsunami is possible, but no one has reported seeing one or a sighting hasn't been verified yet. A watch may include estimates for when and where a tsunami may strike.

When they issue a tsunami warning, it means that a tsunami has been reported and confirmed. By the time they issue the warning, the tsunami could be close. The warning will also let you know where to expect it to strike and when.

During the Wave

If you are unfortunate enough to find yourself at the mercy of an incoming tsunami, climb onto a rooftop or the highest point you can reach. The more stable the building, the safer the support will be. But get as high as you can no matter what. Hold on as tight as you can to any stable and heavy object available. If you must, climb a tree.

If you've already been overtaken by the water, grab something floating that's large enough to support you and hold onto it until you can find stable ground or get help. Grab anything that seems firm and try to get out of the water. The current will be strong, and you could be hurt by debris in the water. If you can get any part of your body out of the water, do so.

You have to accept that tsunamis, like most natural disasters, are uncontrollable. You will have the earthquake warning to give you time to escape.

Keep your head. Remain calm. The better prepared you are, the better your chances of surviving.

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