Activity No.

___Tsunami
1. What is tsunami?
A tsunami (pronounced soo-NAHM-ee) is a
series of huge waves that occur as the result of a
violent underwater disturbance, such as an
earthquake or volcanic eruption. They are
sometimes mistakenly referred to as tidal
waves, but tsunamis have nothing to do 2. What happens when
with the tides. earthquakes occur
Tsunamis can be generated when the sea underwater?
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 3. What is tectonic
deformed area is displaced from its earthquake?
equilibrium position. Waves are formed as
the displaced water mass, which acts under the
influence of gravity, attempts to regain its equilibrium. When large areas of the sea
floor elevate or subside, a tsunami can be created.
Large vertical movements of the earth's crust can occur at plate boundaries. 4. What is subduction?
Plates interact along these boundaries called faults. Around the margins of the Pacific
Ocean, for example, denser oceanic plates slip under continental plates in a process
known as subduction. Subduction earthquakes are particularly effective in generating
tsunamis.
It should be noted that not all earthquakes generate tsunamis. Usually, it takes an
earthquake with a Richter magnitude exceeding 7.5 to produce a destructive
tsunami.
Most tsunamis are generated by shallow, great earthquakes at subductions zones.
More than 80% of the world's tsunamis occur in the Pacific along its Ring of Fire 5. How movement along a
subduction zones. When a great earthquake ruptures, the faulting can cause vertical fault generates tsunami?
slip that is large enough to disturb the overlying ocean, thus
generating a tsunami that will travel outwards in all
directions.
Tsunami waves destroy boats, buildings, bridges, cars,
trees, telephone lines, power lines - and just about anything
else in their way. Once the tsunami waves have knocked
down infrastructure on the shore they may continue to 6. What type of fault
travel for several miles inland, sweeping away more trees, generates tsunami?
buildings, cars and other man made equipment. Small
islands hit by a tsunami are left unrecognizable. One of the
biggest and worst effects of a tsunami is the cost to human
life because unfortunately escaping a tsunami is nearly
impossible. Hundreds and thousands of people are killed by tsunamis. People living in
coastal regions, towns and villages have no time to escape. The violent force of the 7. Enumerate 5 effects of
tsunami results in instant death, most commonly by drowning. Buildings collapsing, tsunami.
electrocution, and explosions from gas, damaged tanks and floating debris are
another cause of death.