IT'S A TSUNAMI!!

WOOHOO DUDES!! Do you want to learn about tsunamis? If you want to, I, Christian, will show you around in this world of Tsunamis.LETS GO!!!!!!!

First, a tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 metres), onto land. These walls of water can cause widespread and serious damage when they crash ashore.

Second, Most tsunamis, about 80 percent, happen within the Pacific Ocean's "Ring of Fire," a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.

Third, in deep ocean, tsunami waves may appear only a foot or so high. But as they approach shoreline and enter shallower water they slow down and begin to grow in energy and height. The tops of the waves move faster than their bottoms do, which causes them to rise precipitously.

If you are by any chance living in a place with Tsunamis,remember...

1. Do not think it lightly and be alert.

2. Do not stand below buildings and try to go to higher places.

The best defence against any tsunami is early warning that allows people to seek higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, a coalition of 26 nations headquartered in Hawaii, maintains a web  of seismic equipment and water level gauges to identify tsunamis at sea. Similar systems are proposed to protect coastal areas worldwide.

(If you want to learn more about tsunamis, please go to Lilya Stamp's "ITS A TSUNAMI" on webquest.)

                      The Process

The process of a Tsunami is caused by large, undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries. When the ocean floor at a plate boundary rises or falls suddenly it displaces the water above it and forms the rolling waves that will become a tsunami. 

                     Conclusion

Tsunamis can be very dangerous. In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami was among the deadliest natural disasters in human history with at least 230,000 people killed or missing in 14 countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

                        TEACHER PAGE                                                                                               This webquest was designed by a grade 3 student to share his learning about Tsunamis.