Tsunami:HonshuCoast,Japan(LocalScale)

ThismapshowstheareaalongthecoastofHonshu,Japanwherethedestructionofthe2011
tsunamioccurred.Itwasthedevastating9.0magnitudeTohokuearthquakethattriggeredthe
tsunamiwhichkilledmorethan230,000people.Thecauseoftheearthquakeandsubsequent
tsunamiwastheactionofthePacificplatesubductingundertheEurasianplate.Thesudden
releaseofcenturiesofbuildupbetweenwheretheplatesstuckcausedthecatastrophicevent.
BecauseJapanhasfrequentearthquakes,theirearlywarningsystem,inadditiontotheirstrict
buildingcodes,preventedmanydeathstheearthquakemighthavecaused.Butitwasthe
resultingtsunamithatclaimedsomanylives.Knowingthewarningsignsfortsunamismayhelp
tosavelives.Signsincludeearthquakesnearcoastalareasthatarestrongandlastformore
than20seconds.Also,ifyouseechangesintheoceanlikeaquickriseorfallofwaters,or
watersthanquicklyanddramaticallyrecede,thesecanindicateanoncomingtsunami.

http://www.livescience.com/39110japan2011earthquaketsunamifacts.html
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/tsunami
http://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/hazards/#

TsunamiOccurrenceinJapan(RegionalScale)

ThismapshowsthevastamountoftsunamisthatpummelJapan.Threeconditionshaveto
happenforanearthquaketotriggeratsunami.One,theearthquakehastohaveamagnitudeof
7.0orlarger.Second,theepicenteroftheearthquakehastobeundertheoceanasopposed
underland.Lastly,theearthquakehastobewhatscientistsdeemshallow.Accordingthethe
USGS,ashallowearthquakeisonethatisbetween0and70kilometersindepth.Monitoring
warningsystemslikeInternationalTsunamiWarningSystemmayhelpsaveliveswithadvanced
noticethatwouldallowfortimelyevacuation.

http://www.livescience.com/13187japanearthquaketsunamisciencefaq.html
http://www.livescience.com/54434whysomanyearthquakesstrikejapan.html
http://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/hazards/#

TsunamiActivityintheRingofFire(GlobalScale)

ThismapshowstheimmensetsunamiactivityinthePacificRingofFire.Intenseplatetectonic
movementintheRingofFirecausesnumerousearthquakes,andthoseearthquakescantrigger
tsunamis,orlargeoceanwavesthatcantravelhundredsofmilesgainingmomentumandhave
devastatingeffectswhentheyreachland.Asplatesmove,sometimesonemovesunderthe
otherinaprocesscalledsubduction.Attimestheplateswillgetstuck,buildinguppressureand
untilsomethinggivesanddramaticmovementresultsinanearthquake.Ifwecanmonitorquake
activity,wemaybeabletoevaluatewhichonesarelikelytotriggertsunamis.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/topics/seismology/determining_depth.php
http://www.livescience.com/13187japanearthquaketsunamisciencefaq.html
http://maps.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/hazards/#