Transcript Tsunami Lecture

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
Damage
A 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, Indonesia
Photo: Choo Youn-Kong
From 2004 Tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
December 26, 2004
9.2 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/nonindustrial 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 TsunamiThere 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 Disasters
The 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 Trade
http://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 Trade
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/ceos/trafficking.html
•No Relief?
Japan’s Earthquake and Tsunami 2011
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/11/japan-tsunamianniversary_n_1337534.html?ref=japan-tsunami
http://www.huffi
Lingering Impacts: Debris and Ghost Ships ngtonpost.com/n
ews/japantsunami
Impacts on
Nuclear
Energy
worldwide
Film:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/japansnuclear-meltdown/