Tsunamis

Indian Ocean 2004: Causes and Outcomes

Japan 2011: Causes and Outcomes

Lecture Outline

•What is a tsunami?

•Tsunami Formation

•Earlier Tsunamis

•Tsunami December 26, 2004

•What is a disaster?

•Political geography of disasters around the world

•Outcomes of 2004 Tsunami

Tsunami:

Tsunami: 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. They are often caused by underwater earthquakes, landslides or a volcanic eruption, but can also be caused by large meteorite impacts.

The term tsunami comes from the Japanese language meaning harbor (tsu) and wave (nami).

-Small amplitude and long wavelength...

It is incorrect to call them tidal waves, as they are not related to the tides.

Earthquakes

Earthquake: A sudden motion or trembling in the Earth. The motion is caused by the quick release of slowly accumulated energy in the form of seismic waves. Most earthquakes are produced along faults, tectonic plate boundaries, or along the mid-oceanic ridges.

Seismic Wave: Successive wave-type displacement of rock.

Magnitude: relative amount of energy released during an earthquake.

Richter Scale : A logarithmic measurement scale of earthquake magnitude. This scale measures the energy released by the largest seismic wave associated with the earthquake.

(On logarithmic scale, energy increase from one magnitude to the next is about 32 times greater.0

Tsunami Formation

Vertical displacement of water

Caused by earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, meteorites

Tsunami Movement

This movement creates a wave in the water body which radiates outward in concentric shells. Water is seeking equilibrium.

Low amplitude and long wavelength

Fast travel across ocean

“Pile-up” as it reaches a coastline

Water (and waves) “piles-up” at the coastline

DamageA tsunami looks like an endlessly onrushing tide which forces its way around and through any obstacle. Most of the damage is done by the huge mass of water behind the initial wave front. The sheer weight of the water is enough to pulverise objects in its path, reducing buildings to its foundations and scouring exposed ground to bedrock.

Banda Aceh, IndonesiaPhoto: Choo Youn-Kong

From 2004 Tsunami

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami

December 26, 20049.2 magnitude earthquake

Deadliest on record, killing 310,000 people.

No organized alert system in Indian Ocean region.

Affected countries of : Indonesia, northwest Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania.

Subduction of Indo-Australian plate beneath Eurasian Plate

Indian-Australian Plate Movement into Eurasian Plate

Sri Lanka Coastline, Before

(satellite photo)

Sri Lanka Coastline, waters receding, After tsunami

Banda Aceh Before

Banda Aceh After

Thailand

What is a disaster?Where human (and political) and physical worlds collide.

Disaster: “situation or event, which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating a request to national or international level for external assistance; an unforeseen and often sudden event that causes great damage, destruction and human suffering”. -from United Nations

Photo: Marcelo Hernandez

Political Geographical Dimensions of Disaster

UN categorizes disasters as follows:

Hydro-meteorological disasters: including floods and wave surges, storms, droughts and related disasters (extreme temperatures and forest/scrub fires), and landslides & avalanches; Geophysical disasters: divided into earthquakes & tsunamis and volcanic eruptions; Biological disasters: covering epidemics and insect infestations. Technological disasters:

Industrial accidents: such as chemical spills; collapses of industrial infrastructures; explosions; fires, gas leaks; poisoning; radiation; Transport accidents: by air, rail, road or water means of transport; Miscellaneous accidents: collapses of domestic/non-industrial structures; explosions; fires.

Numbers of Disasters is Rising Dramatically

(UN Figures)

UN Development Categorization

OECD Developing

EEC Less Developed

Different Disasters for Differently Developed Areas of World

Outcomes of Tsunami-

There are many outcomes from this disaster: ecological, psychological, demographic, cultural, humanitarian, political etc.

Here are just a few of the expected and unexpected outcomes of a disaster such as this.

Aftershocks and Volcanic Activity

Volcano now erupting on Sumatra, 25,000 evacuated 4/13

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

•Less Donations for Other DisastersThe United Nations flash appeal for victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami was "an extraordinarily effective emergency relief effort," but all the world's other "neglected emergencies" are woefully under-funded even though the amount sought is only a fifth of what Europe spends on ice cream each year, a senior UN official said today.

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

•Less Donations for Other Disasters

•Creation of Tsunami Warning System for Indian Ocean countries, launched this summer by US AID

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

•Less Donations for Other Disasters

•Creation of Tsunami Warning System for Indian Ocean

•More than one million indigenous persons were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia.

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

•Less Donations for Other Disasters

•Creation of Tsunami Warning System for Indian Ocean countries (meeting today)

•More than one million indigenous persons were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia.

•Trafficking of Children for Sex Tradehttp://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html

Unexpected Outcomes of Tsunami

•Release of Nuclear Wastes in Somalia

•Less Donations for Other Disasters

•Creation of Tsunami Warning System for Indian Ocean countries (meeting today)

•More than one million indigenous persons were displaced by the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia.

•Trafficking of Children for Sex Tradehttp://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html

•No Relief?

Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami 2011

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/11/japan-tsunami-anniversary_n_1337534.html?ref=japan-tsunami

Film:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/japans-nuclear-meltdown/

Lingering Impacts: Debris and Ghost Shipshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/japan-tsunami

Impacts on Nuclear Energy worldwide