Data has shown that society was previously inclined to underestimate tsunamis and their power. Advancements in tsunami studies have made it possible for the masses to become better acquainted with the concept and with the fact that it can practically happen more frequent than they thought. In addition to that, it appears that no coast lines are protected from tsunamis, as they can be affected more or less, mainly depending on their location and on the intensity of the tsunami (Gonzalez).
Tsunamis occur less frequently than other natural events, but this does not mean that they are to be ignored by the authorities in charge of such disasters. "Regardless of their origin, tsunamis evolve through three overlapping but quite distinct physical processes: generation by any force that disturbs the water column, propagation from deeper water near the source to shallow coastal areas and, finally, inundation of dry land" (Gonzalez).
The natural phenomena are known to affect large areas of land, with some of them causing damage more than two hundred kilometers away from their source. Even with that, tsunamis can also affect individuals that apparently have nothing to do with the area where they struck. They can affect the whole country where they occurred in particular, and even other countries, depending on their relationship with the area involved (Rigg, Law, Tan-Mullins & Grundy-Warr, 2005).
Gonzalez focuses on the Japanese in attempt to raise people awareness regarding quick tsunami response. Because it is positioned near four tectonic plates, Japan is especially at risk of being struck by a tsunami. Thus, the Japanese have rapid response teams that coordinate rescue missions meant to result in as little casualties as possible. Although two hundred victims can represent a high number of casualties, it is actually insignificant when talking about a tsunami. Considering Japan's dense population, one can observe that the country's inhabitants have effective programs of dealing...
Besides the deaths, more than one million people were left homeless and hundreds of thousands homes and businesses were destroyed. The United Nations estimated that, "...the disaster will prove to be the costliest ever recorded, with full economic recovery not expected for up to 10 years in many areas. " (Intute: Science, engineering and technology: Tsunamis) The physical structure of the coast and the environment was severely damaged which meant that
Tsunamis A succinct definition of a tsunami is " ... A natural phenomenon consisting of a series of waves generated when water in a lake or the sea is rapidly displaced on a massive scale. ( Wikipedia: Tsunami) A more explicit and technical definition is, " A tsunami is a very long-wavelength wave of water that is generated by sudden displacement of the seafloor or disruption of any body of standing
Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction The images on television were unimaginable. The number of deaths, staggering. The stories of survival were both heroic and miraculous. Even today, some months later, the news is still filled with reports concerning the December 26, 2004 tsunami that literally devastated many areas of Indonesia. Relief efforts have been under way since the first few days of the disaster and have come from virtually every area of
Tsunami Warning Systems as Potential Disaster Mitigaters Large-scale disasters are more possible in today's world than ever before. Due to both natural and man-made phenomena, the latter of which comprises everything from global warming to nuclear weapons, catastrophes are much more prescient. These disasters have been seen in various instances, especially in the Pacific, the most recent of which is the tsunami that hit Japan. Tsunamis are a deadly natural force
Tsunami Warning System The December 2004 tsunami shocked the world, literally taking it by storm. It killed nearly 300,000 people in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and its devastating effects were felt as afar away as Africa, where several people died as a result. The tsunami was preceded and directly caused by a magnitude 9.15 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Sumatra. Although there was a significant lag between the
Tsunamis and Earthquakes in Japan This article looks at the Geographical effects of the tsunami and earthquake. It is a research that analysis the disastrous implications of tsunamis and earthquakes to the human and physical environment of the Japanese people. It considers a geographical analysis as a type of analysis that stipulates the area covered by a study. The paper outlines the causes of tsunamis and earth quakes, areas where
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