Slide1: TSUNAMI Just-in-Time Lecture By: Ali Ardalan, Ronald E. LaPorte, Eugene Shubnikov, Faina Linkov & Eric K. Noji for the Global Health Disaster Network


Slide2: What is the Disaster Supercourse? http://www.pitt.edu/~super1


Slide3: What is a JIT lecture? http://www.pitt.edu/~super1


Slide4: Lecture objectives: To provide the best possible information about the science of Tsunamis To learn how the science can help prepare us for primary & secondary prevention consequences of Tsunamis


Slide5: What is a Tsunami? (soo-NAH-mee)


Slide6: Tsunami or Harbor Wave A Japanese word represented by two characters: tsu & nami tsu means harbor & nami means wave


Slide7: History of Tsunami Ancient city of Knossos, the capital of the Minoan civilization


Slide8: Tsunami: Socio-economical Impacts Great loss of life Extensive property damage Paralyzed economy Import Export Manufacturing Tourism industry Possible HUGE Destruction!


Slide9: Tsunami Impacts: Socio-economical Factors Rapid growth & development of coastal areas Living people on or quite near the coast Foreign trade necessitates some maintain large fleets of ships & major port facilities Fishing industries Aqua cultural industries & canneries


Slide10: Risks Posed by Tsunamis Flooding Contamination of drinking water Fires from ruptured tanks or gas lines Loss of vital community infrastructure


Slide11: Tsunami Prediction: Understanding of the phenomenon Data collection on earthquake & sea level Data interpretation Impossible prediction of earthquakes generating tsunamis


Slide12: Tsunami Definition & Causes


Slide13: A tsunami can be generated by ANY disturbance that displaces a large water mass from its equilibrium position!


Slide14: Scientific term? Tsunami Seismic sea waves Tidal waves


Slide15: How is a tsunami different from a wind-generated wave?


Slide16: When an earthquake occurs in a source: Outward traveling of energy in all directions Outward radiation of waves in all directions & propagation across ocean basins Chilean Earthquake (1960) Sweeping tsunami across the Pacific to Japan


Slide18: A tsunami can compete with a jet airplane, traveling across the ocean in less than a day. When the ocean is 20000 feet (6100 m) deep, a tsunami travels at 550 miles/hr (890 km/hr).


Slide19: Unlike ocean-wide tsunamis caused by some earthquakes, tsunamis generated by non-seismic mechanisms usually dissipate quickly & rarely affect coastlines far from the source area.


Slide20: Determinant factors of the size of a tsunami at initial phase & along the coast


Slide21: Tsunamis generation: Initiation Split Amplification Run-up


Slide23: Tsunamis generation: Initiation


Slide24: Tsunamis generation: II. Split


Slide25: Tsunamis generation: III. Amplification


Slide26: Tsunamis generation: IV. Run-up


Slide27: Scientific terms: Run-up: Vertical height a wave reaches above a reference sea level as it washes ashore. Wave height: Vertical measurement of the wave before it reaches shore. Inundation distance: Horizontal distance a tsunami reaches landward from shoreline.


Slide28: Appearance of a tsunami when reaches the shore A rapidly rising or falling tide A series of waves A bore


Slide29: Run-up height: Tsunamis of distant origin: > 50 ft (15 m) Tsunami generated near the earthquake epicenter: > 100 ft (30 m) First wave may not be the largest in the series of waves.


Slide30: The flooding of an area can extend inland by 1000 feet (305 m) or more, covering large expanses of land with water & debris.


Slide31: Do tsunamis stop once on land? Energy reflection back Edge waves


Slide32: Complicated behavior of tsunami waves near the coast ! The first run-up of a tsunami is often not the largest. Do not return to a beach several hours after a tsunami hits.


Slide33: Tsunami can not be felt aboard ships nor can they be seen from the air in the open ocean.


Slide34: Why are tsunami so destructive?


Slide35: Learn about : International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) International Tsunami Warning System (ITWS)


Slide36: Mandate Functions Research and Data Collection Responsibilities Visiting Scientists Program Education, Preparedness & Disaster Reduction http://www.prh.noaa.gov/itic/


Slide37: What is the International Tsunami Warning System (ITWS)? Seismic station


Slide38: What is the International Tsunami Warning System (ITWS)? Tide station


Slide39: International Tsunami Warning System (ITWS) ITWS includes 31 seismic stations & > 60 tide stations The stations have ability to transmit their data immediately & in real time to the headquarters at PTWC in Hawaii.


Slide40: How does the International Tsunami Warning System Work?


Slide41: Tsunami WARNING & Tsunami WATCH


Slide42: Dissemination of Watches & Warnings by ITIC When Earthquake is Strong Enough to Cause a Tsunami !! Monitoring the tide gauges near the epicenter Watch bulletins for all earthquake ≥ 7 in the Aleutian Islands & ≥ 7.5 elsewhere in the Pacific Watching cancellation: Negligible tsunami or no tsunami Watching Warning if a tsunami threat


Slide43: Capabilities & Limitations of the International Tsunami Warning System (ITWS)


Slide44: No Tsunami Warning Issued at 26 Dec 2004 Disaster !! No Tsunami Warning System exists for the Indian Ocean !!


Slide45: Be Prepared for Tsunamis & Protect Yourself


Slide46: Similar Tsunamis, Similar Strategies for Survival


Slide47: What you must do! Tsunami is coming!


Slide48: What you must do, If you are on a boat! Tsunami is coming!