Literature Review

Here are some references of sites that I have been to recently and these sites have information about tsunami's and what they are.

1)"Causes of Tsunamis." Dangers of Tsunamis. Earthquake. 18 May 2008 <http://seagrant.uaf.edu/features/earthquake/tsunami.html> .

2)"Learning About Tsunamis From the Indian Ocean Disaster of Decemeber 2004." 18 May 2008 <http://www.penmachine.com/techie/learn_about_tsunamis_2005-01.html>.

3)"What Causes a Tsunami?" 18 May 2008 <http://www.ringsurf.com/online/2411-what_causes_a_tsunami_.html>.

4)"What Causes Tsunamis?" 18 May 2008 <http://www.weather.gov/om/brochures/tsunami2.htm>.

5)"Scientific Background on the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami." 19 May 2008 <http://iri.columbia.edu/~lareef/tsunami/ >.

Video of 2004 Tsunami

Down below is the url of a video that was taken after the tsunami that took place in the Indian Ocean on December 24, 2004. This video shows most of the damage that was done in Indonesia soon after the tsunami was over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwIAgy4y6EY

Predicting a Tsunami: Is it Possible?

There are many precautions that are taken place for tsunami's in coastal places. But is very hard to actually detect if a tsunami is going to take place. In Japan and other countries in that area there are certain machines on the bottom of the ocean to detect if a earthquake is taken place. If the earthquake has a large magnitude then they will set of the tsunami warning. Although most of the time these warnings are false. So how is it possible that people can detect a tsunami.

One possible idea that may be achievable is that in the near future scientists are able to create some sort of machine that is able to keep a record of the ocean waves. If this were done then it could happen that we could detect a tsunami in the ocean in time before it is close to shore. This way many lives could be saved since the tsunami will not be reaching any shore.


Pendick, Daniel. "Catching a Tsunami in the Act." Savage Earth. PBS Online. 17 May 2008 .

Tsunami

The following site that I have found had a brief summary of what occured during the Decemeber 2004 tsunami. Also this site includes a survey taken by the American Geological Survey Department, an animation to show how the tsunami took place, what effects the tsunami had on the surrounding countries and much more information. So if you would like to view this site just click here.

Stories of Tsunami Suvivors

Many have died in tsunami's. Those who survived are still in trauma from they had seen and been through. Click here to view some of the stories that these people have to say and what they have to face now. Most of those who survived were left homeless, jobless and forever traumatized by what they will never be able to forget. Many that had survived in the tsunami that happened in Decemeber 2004 are still living in temperary camps and are at the mercy of everyone.

Animations

Click here to see a site with that has an animation showing the December 2004 Asian tsunami. This site also includes information and a survey that is from the records of the United States Geological Survey department about the tsunami that took place on December 24, 2004. Apart from that this site shows how the tsunami was created and how warning systems might have helped detect the tsunami earlier.

Countries after 2004 Tsunami

These are pictures showing the coast of India before and after the tsunami took place.

The left picture shows Thailand in January 2003. The picture on the right shows Thailand after the tsunami on December 29, 2004.

This is Indonesia after the Asian Tsunami occured in 2004.

The top picture is Sri Lanka before the 2004 tsunami. The middle picture shows Sri Lanka just a few minutes before the tsunami is about to occur. The bottom picture shows Sri Lanka after the tsunami took place.

Survivors of Tsunami's

For tsunami suvivors life is very tough. For many their livelihoods are gone. Many have lost their home and many many more people have lost their loved ones. To read a few stories of some of these suvivors just click here. For many this is the first time after 3 years of the Asian tsunami in 2004 that they return to there home country. Most people are returning to pray for lost loved ones at mass graves. All those who have survived a tsunami will never be able to fully recover mentally from what had happened.

Story

Click here to view a site showing a story that someone has written about a tsunami. This is a story that he has written and it shows a few warning signs during story. Also it mentions how long it could possibly take for the tsunami to cross the Pacific Ocean. Though this has not yet happened the author has done some reasearch about tsunami's and has mentioned accurate facts in his creative way of presenting how a tsunami takes place.

Countries Affected by December 2004 Tsunami

The tsunami that had happened on December 26, 2004 effected many countries in Southeast Asia and Africa. The countries that the tsunami went to were: Cocos Island, Kenya, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles, Banda Aceh in Sumatra, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

This tsunami has destroyed many livelihoods of those who used to depend on the sea for their living. In nearly all, if not all, the countries the tsunami destroyed many hotels and resorts that was a popular toursist sites in the countries. The destruction of these hotels and resorts has injured the economy for those countries that depened a lot on tourism. Apart from that it has affected those whose jobs were related to tourists. All in all the 2004 tsunami has ruined the livelihoods of the people who lived in the affected countries.

Pictures of Tsunami and its Effects

One of the many coastal regions affected by a tsunami.

This is a picture of one of the coastal cities that was affected by a tsunami.

This is one of the islands in the Indian Ocean before the tsunami occured in 2004.


This is the same islands after the tsunami took place.

These are but a few pictures showing the effects of a tsunami. There are many more places that were affected by that tsunami.

Time Chart for a Pacific Ocean Tsunami

Click here to see a chart that will show you how long it would take for a tsunami to reach any coast that is near the Pacific. Along with how long it would take to hit land there are a few safety rules that are also viewable. Scientists believe that if a tsunami were to occur in the Pacific Ocean it would be very deadly for the world population. Some scientist believe that the last time that a tsunami occurred in the Pacific Ocean was in the time of the dinosaurs. That tsunami that was caused was most likely caused by a meteor hitting the earth in the Pacific Ocean. But that is just one of the many theories that scientist have about how the dinosaurs became extinct.

Animations of a Tsunami

The following site shows you a annimation of how quickly and swiftly a tsunami can travel. Tsunami's can travel large oceans withen a few hours. Click here to see a link for how a tsunami can affect places that are many miles away from the epicenter of the tsunami. Many people confuse a tsunami for a tidal wave. Tsunami's are much faster and bigger than tidal waves. Tsunami's are usually very small in deep sea but once they get near shore they can be huge.

Pictures

These are but a few pictures that show what a tsunami could be like. These destuctive waves have killed many people and destroyed much land and even covered up some of the world's islands. Those who have survived still have not been able to recover from what they had to see during the tsunami. A majority of the people have become homeless and have no jobs. These are a few pictures that have been taken during a tsunami. These waves cause much destruction where ever they are. Not only have these affected people but also many economies of varies countries that have been hit by a tsunami.

Asian Tsunami

One of the most terrible tsunami's in recent history that has been recorded is the tsunami that took place on December 26,2004 in the Indian Ocean. The this devestating event took the lives of 200,000 or more people and made many millions of people homeless. Down below are 2 videos that were taken by people who were able to survive.

Tsunami's Caused by Volcanoes

There have been a quite a few number of tsunami's that have been created by a volcanic eruption. Two of the most well know eruptions are those of Mt. Vesuvius(Italy) in 79 A.D. and Mt. St. Helens (U.S.A.) in 1980.

Although Mt. Vesuvius and Mt. St. Helens are more well known eruptions that caused tsunami's, there have been more eruptions that have occured elsewhere that have also caused much destruction. Taal is a volcano in the Philippines that has erupted many times over the years that has caused many tsunami's in that area.
If you would like to see some other tsunami's that were created by a volcano just click here.

Tsunami's

Tsunami's are usually caused by undersea earthquakes. Most of the time it takes an earthquake with a magnitude of more than a 7.5 on the Richter scale to cause a tsunami. To see an animation click here.

Another cause for a tsunami could be a volcanic eruption or an undersea landslide but these rarely cause tsunami's. One of the most rare causes of a tsunami could be a meteor or asteroid hitting the earth in the middle of the ocean.

Deadly Tsunami's in Recent Years

One of the deadliest tsunami's that has taken place in recent years is the tsunami that took place in 2004 in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake that caused this tsunami was the 4th largest that took place in the last 100 years . Also an earthquake like the one that caused this tsunami hasn't take place in the last 40 years. In this disaster over 220,000 people had died and nearly 5 million people became homeless. Many people could suffer diseases caused by polluted water, damaged sanitation systems and the crowed living conditions. Although, much damage has been done to infastructure, and for a large portion of people a livelihood has been destroyed, especially if they had anything to do with agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Apart from that this is the largest and most deadliest tsunami that has taken place. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami has claimed more lives then any other tsunami that has taken place in the last century.