TSUNAMI
1. A tsunami is a series of ocean waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. More rarely, a tsunami can be generated by a giant meteor impact with the ocean. These waves can reach heights of over 100 ft.
2. About 80% of tsunamis happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.”
3. The first wave of a tsunami is usually not the strongest, successive waves get bigger and stronger.
4. Tsunamis can travel at speeds of about 500 miles or 805 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as a jet plane.
5. The states in the U.S. at greatest risk for tsunamis are Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California.
6. If caught by a tsunami wave, it is better not to swim, but rather to grab a floating object and allow the current to carry you.
7. Tsunamis retain their energy, meaning they can travel across entire oceans with limited energy loss.
8. Tsunami means “harbor wave” in Japanese (tsu = harbor + nami = wave), reflecting Japan’s tsunami-prone history.
9. Scientists can accurately estimate the time when a tsunami will arrive almost anywhere around the world based on calculations using the depth of the water, distances from one place to another, and the time that the earthquake or other event occurred.
10. Hawaii is always at great risk for a tsunami – they get about 1 per year and a severe one every 7 years. The biggest tsunami that occurred Hawaii happened in 1946, the coast of Hilo Island was hit with 30 ft waves at 500 mph.
11. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by an earthquake with the energy of 23,000 atomic bombs. After the earthquake, killer waves radiating from the epicenter slammed into the coastline of 11 countries. The final death toll was 283,000.
Sat 09 May 2015, 8:58 am by maker_killer
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