Well, we couldn't feel any earthquake here in Costa Rica. And the park I live at is on a series of stepped plateaus and I live at the top - so we should be protected from any potential tsunamis here. Don't worry about me ok?! Everything here is good. (well not everything, I woke up this morning with a tick attached to my FACE! WTF?! HOW DID THAT NASTY THING GET IN MY BED!!!!)
I took an awesome class in university on natural disasters (Geopysics 375) and I know the warning signs for a tsunami. Do you?
Most people think that a tsunami (aka tidal wave) is a gigantic tall wave that comes in really quickly and causes massive death and destruction with the force of the water. Well this isn't true. A tsunami is actually a series of really long waves that is caused when some big force displaces a lot of water. If you look at this diagram, check out the wavelength. Now imagine that this wavelength is many kilometers long. Now imagine that there are like 5 of them in a row. That's basically a tsunami. Tsunamis aren't tall, but they are fast and they are relentless. The reason so many people die in them is because the current sucks them under the water or they get hit with debris and then they drown. I hope today's big earthquake didn't cause any tsunamis.
Here are some tsunami warning signs that you should remember if you ever travel to the ocean or live on the coast.
- an earthquake. duh.
- if the water looks like it is bubbling or boiling
- if the sea recedes quickly exposing a great deal of the ocean floor
- sometimes a very loud noise preceeds a tsunami.
If you see/hear any of these signs, get away from the water and find someplace high to hang out. Stay away from rivers and streams that lead to the ocean, and remember successive waves can be hours apart.
Hope this post was educational for you. Don't worry about me (well you can worry that i'm getting eaten alive by ticks and chiggers... cause I am)
xoxoxox
Dayna
How did a tick get in your room? :/
ReplyDeleteA few waves did hit Hawaii and New Zealand. Glad you're safe way up there. Thanks for the informational post! :P
Heah Dayna,
ReplyDeleteI was in Hawaii at the time for the Tsunami. Thankfully we were staying on the 4th floor and everyone was evacuated up. It was handled very well by police and everyone. Thankfully it was really a non-event. I witnessed the water suck out and got pics, but waves were very small and did little to no damage. None where we were.
Cheryl N