The Tsunami Disaster
The disastrous horror that came in the form of a massive tsunami has ravaged and devastated an incredibly large area and has left many people searching for family members, a new place to live, and for the answer to the question, "What now?" With an obscene amount of over 150,000 people already killed or missing and with that number expecting to be ballooned to a much higher figure by the time it is all said and done, this tsunami has without a doubt been the worst in recent history. The tsunami was unleashed by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake under the ocean, just off of the coast of Indonesia. This quake was one of the five largest since 1900. The aftershocks alone were shown as ranging in magnitude from almost 6 to 7.3. In compari
0 back in 1700 and it created tsunamis along the west coast and Japan. This tragic event has definitely peaked my interest to learn more about not only how tsunamis are caused, but learning more about how we can protect ourselves against them. As the approach shallower water though, they slow down and reach much greater heights. With waves upwards of 20 feet crashing onto the shore, thousands of people were swept out to see with the initial waves. The authors of these particular articles not only show us the tragedy that occurred among the people, but they also show how and why the event originated in the first place which is excellent objective journalism. I did not realize how devastating the tsunami really was, but as I see the numbers that the death/missing toll has risen to, I am shocked by the destructive power of God's creation. 8, with aftershocks ranging from 3 to 4. Scientists tell us that the fault has been locked ever since and is prime for another large disruption. The last great earthquake to strike the west was a 9. son, the devastating San Francisco of the early nineties had an initial quake of 7. Other faults deep beneath the Pacific could also cause tsunamis either by raising or lowering the ocean floor by shifting of the tectonic plates. After seeing how vulnerable the west coast truly is to a disaster of this sort and then factoring the over-populated cities that would be hit on shore, one can only shudder to think of the carnage and the chaos that would be left in the wake of a tsunami of our own. I am sure that more will be learned about this particular natural disaster later on in this course, as we look into shoreline and sea-floor. The initial waves, traveling of upwards of 500 to 600 miles an hour towards the shower, initially are only a few feet in height so they are not noticeable in the open ocean.
Common topics in this essay:
Japan Scientists,
San Francisco,
,
west coast,
initial waves,
|