A tsunami (plural: tsunamis or tsunami; from Japanese: , lit.

"harbor wave";[1]English
pronunciation: /tsunmi/[2]) , also known as a seismic sea wave, is a series of waves in a water
body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large
lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of
underwater nuclear devices), landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances
above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. [3] Unlike normal ocean waves
which are generated by wind or tides which are generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and
Sun, a tsunami is generated by the displacement of water.

Tsunami

Seismic sea wave

The term seismic sea wave also is used to refer to the phenomenon, because the waves most
often are generated by seismic activity such as earthquakes.[11] Prior to the rise of the use of the term
"tsunami" in English-speaking countries, scientists generally encouraged the use of the term
"seismic sea wave" rather than the inaccurate term "tidal wave." However, like "tsunami," "seismic
sea wave" is not a completely accurate term, as forces other than earthquakes including
underwaterlandslides, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, land or ice slumping into the
ocean, meteorite impacts, or even the weather when the atmospheric pressure changes very rapidly
can generate such waves by displacing water.[12][13]

History??
DO YOU KNOW????....

The Okushiri, Hokkaid tsunami which struck Okushiri Island of Hokkaid within two to five
minutes of theearthquake on July 12, 1993 created waves as much as 30 metres (100 ft) tall
as high as a 10-story building. The port town of Aonae was completely surrounded by a
tsunami wall, but the waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the wood-framed
structures in the area. The wall may have succeeded in slowing down and moderating the
height of the tsunami, but it did not prevent major destruction and loss of life. [49]
About 80% of tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, but they are possible wherever there are large
bodies of water, including lakes. They are caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic explosions,
glacier calvings, and bolides

; the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history
with at least 230,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean

The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (Res Gestae 26.10.15-19) described the typical
sequence of a tsunami, including an incipient earthquake, the sudden retreat of the sea and a
following gigantic wave, after the 365 AD tsunami devastated Alexandria.[17][18]

Generation mechanisms
.

Seismicity
Tsunami can be generated when the sea floor abruptly deforms and vertically displaces the overlying
water. Tectonic earthquakes are a particular kind of earthquake that are associated with the Earth's
crustal deformation; when these earthquakes occur beneath the sea, the water above the deformed
area is displaced from its equilibrium position.[22] More specifically, a tsunami can be generated
when thrust faults associated with convergent or destructive plate boundaries move abruptly,
resulting in water displacement, owing to the vertical component of movement involved. [23].

.[29]

Meteotsunamis
Some meteorological conditions, especially rapid changes in barometric pressure, as seen with the
passing of a front, can displace bodies of water enough to cause trains of waves with wavelengths
comparable to seismic tsunami, but usually with lower energies.

Man-made or triggered tsunamis

See also: Tsunami bomb

.
In World War II, the New Zealand Military Forces initiated Project Seal, which attempted to create
small tsunamis with explosives in the area of today's Shakespear Regional Park;.

Characteristics
Tsunamis cause damage by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water travelling at high
speed, and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying a
large amount of debris with it, even with waves that do not appear to be large.

Tsunamis that strike coastal locations in the Pacific Ocean Basin are most
always caused by earthquakes. These earthquakes might occur far away or near
where you live.

Some tsunamis can be very large. In coastal areas their height can be as great as
30 feet or more (100 feet in extreme cases), and they can move inland several
hundred feet.

All low-lying coastal areas can be struck by tsunamis.

A tsunami consists of a series of waves. Often the first wave may not be the
largest. The danger from a tsunami can last for several hours after the arrival of
the first wave.

Tsunamis can move faster than a person can run.

Sometimes a tsunami causes the water near the shore to recede, exposing the
ocean floor.

The force of some tsunamis is enormous. Large rocks weighing several tons
along with boats and other debris can be moved inland hundreds of feet by
tsunami wave activity. Homes and other buildings are destroyed. All this
material and water move with great force and can kill or injure people.

Tsunamis can occur at any time, day or night.

Tsunamis can travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean.

Be aware of tsunami facts. This knowledge could save your life! Share this
knowledge with your relatives and friends. It could save their lives!
 If you are in school and you hear there is a tsunami warning, you should follow
the advice of teachers and other school personnel.

If you are at home and hear there is a tsunami warning, you should make sure
your entire family is aware of the warning. Your family should evacuate your
house if you live in a tsunami evacuation zone. Move in an orderly, calm and
safe manner to the evacuation site or to any safe place outside your evacuation
zone. Follow the advice of local emergency and law enforcement authorities.

If you are at the beach or near the ocean and you feel the earth shake, move
immediately to higher ground, DO NOT wait for a tsunami warning to be
announced. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean as you
would stay away from the beach and ocean if there is a tsunami. A regional
tsunami from a local earthquake could strike some areas before a tsunami
warning could be announced.

Tsunamis generated in distant locations will generally give people enough time
to move to higher ground. For locally-generated tsunamis, where you might
feel the ground shake, you may only have a few minutes to move to higher
ground.

High, multi-story, reinforced concrete hotels are located in many low-lying

coastal areas. The upper floors of these hotels can provide a safe place to find
refuge should there be a tsunami warning and you cannot move quickly inland
to higher ground. Local Civil Defense procedures may, however, not allow this
type of evacuation in your area. Homes and small buildings located in low-
lying coastal areas are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay
in these structures should there be a tsunami warning.

Offshore reefs and shallow areas may help break the force of tsunami waves,
but large and dangerous wave can still be a threat to coastal residents in these
areas. Staying away from all low-lying areas is the safest advice when there
is a tsunami war While it is of course not possible to prevent a tsunami, in
certain tsunami prone countries some measures have been taken to reduce
the damage caused on shore. Japan has implemented an extensive
programme of building tsunami walls of up to 4.5m (13.5 ft) high in front of
populated coastal areas. Other localities have built flood gates and channels
to redirect the water from incoming tsunamis. However, their effectiveness
has been questioned, as tsunamis are often higher than the barriers. For
instance, the tsunami which hit the island of Hokkaido on July 12, 1993
created waves as much as 30m (100 ft) tall - as high as a 10-story building.
The port town of Aonae on Hokkaido was completely surrounded by a tsunami
wall, but the waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the woodFig
 2.2.5 Tsunami walls in populated coastal areas of Japan Natural Hazards &
Disaster Management 22 framed structures in the area. The wall may have
succeeded in slowing down and moderating the height of the tsunami but it
did not prevent major destruction and loss of life. Some other systematic
measures to protect coastlines against tsunamis include: Site Planning and
Land ManagementWithin the broader framework of a comprehensive plan,
site planning determines the location, configuration, and density of
development on particular sites and is, therefore, an important tool in
reducing tsunami risk. Fig 2.2.6 Damaged houses constructed on the sea
coast in Chennai - The designation and zoning of tsunami hazard areas for
such open-space uses as agriculture, parks and recreation, or natural hazard
areas is recommended as the first land use planning strategy. This strategy is
designed to keep development at a minimum in hazard areas. - In areas
where it is not feasible to restrict land to open-space uses, other land use
planning measures can be used. These include strategically controlling the
type of development and uses allowed in hazard areas, and avoiding high-
value and highoccupancy uses to the greatest degree possible. Engineering
structures Most of the habitation of the fishing community is seen in the
coastal areas. The houses constructed by them are mainly of light weight
materials without any engineering inputs. Therefore there is an urgent need
to educate the community about the good construction practices that they
should adopt such as:ning.

While it is of course not possible to prevent a tsunami, in certain tsunami prone

countries some measures have been taken to reduce the damage caused on shore.
Japan has implemented an extensive programme of building tsunami walls of up to
4.5m (13.5 ft) high in front of populated coastal areas. Other localities have built
flood gates and channels to redirect the water from incoming tsunamis. However,
their effectiveness has been questioned, as tsunamis are often higher than the
barriers. For instance, the tsunami which hit the island of Hokkaido on July 12, 1993
created waves as much as 30m (100 ft) tall - as high as a 10-story building. The port
town of Aonae on Hokkaido was completely surrounded by a tsunami wall, but the
waves washed right over the wall and destroyed all the woodFig 2.2.5 Tsunami walls
in populated coastal areas of Japan Natural Hazards & Disaster Management 22
framed structures in the area. The wall may have succeeded in slowing down and
moderating the height of the tsunami but it did not prevent major destruction and
loss of life. Some other systematic measures to protect coastlines against tsunamis
include: Site Planning and Land ManagementWithin the broader framework of a
comprehensive plan, site planning determines the location, configuration, and
density of development on particular sites and is, therefore, an important tool in
reducing tsunami risk. Fig 2.2.6 Damaged houses constructed on the sea coast in
Chennai - The designation and zoning of tsunami hazard areas for such open-space
uses as agriculture, parks and recreation, or natural hazard areas is recommended
as the first land use planning strategy. This strategy is designed to keep
development at a minimum in hazard areas. - In areas where it is not feasible to
restrict land to open-space uses, other land use planning measures can be used.
These include strategically controlling the type of development and uses allowed in
hazard areas, and avoiding high-value and highoccupancy uses to the greatest
degree possible. Engineering structures Most of the habitation of the fishing
community is seen in the coastal areas. The houses constructed by them are mainly
of light weight materials without any engineering inputs. Therefore there is an
urgent need to educate the community about the good construction practices that
they should adopt s The designation and zoning of tsunami hazard areas for such
open-space uses as agriculture, parks and recreation, or natural hazard areas is
recommended as the first land use planning strategy. This strategy is designed to
keep development at a minimum in hazard areas. - In areas where it is not feasible
to restrict land to open-space uses, other land use planning measures can be used.
These include strategically controlling the type of development and uses allowed in
hazard areas, and avoiding high-value and highoccupancy uses to the greatest
degree possible. Engineering structures Most of the habitation of the fishing
community is seen in the coastal areas. The houses constructed by them are mainly
of light weight materials without any engineering inputs. Therefore there is an
urgent need to educate the community about the good construction practices that
they should adopt such as: Fig 2.2.7 Design solution to tsunami effect Site
selection Avoid building or living in buildings within several hundred feet of the
coastline as these areas are more likely to experience damage from tsunamis.
Construct the structure on a higher ground level with respect to mean sea level.
Natural Hazards & Disaster Management 23 Elevate coastal homes: Most tsunami
waves are less than 3 meters in height. Elevating house will help reduce damage to
property from most tsunamis. Construction of water breakers to reduce the
velocity of waves. Use of water and corrosion resistant materials for construction.
Construction of community halls at higher locations, which can act as shelters at
the time of a disaster. Flood management - Flooding will result from a tsunami.
Tsunami waves will flood the coastal areas. Flood mitigation measures could be
incorporated.