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What is the aftermath of a tsunami?

Here is my final version for What is the aftermath of a tsunami?

Once a tsunami hits the shore the tsunami wave loses its energy quite quickly and the water drains back into the sea. However it leaves a devastated area which will take months, or even years to return to normal. The waves leave a vast amount of destruction and debris behind. As well as ruined buildings and roads, rescue workers have the difficult task of dealing with the bodies of people and animals killed by the tsunami.

An earthquake can make coastal levels drop. High tides can then flood the land turning it to salt marshes where crops cannot grow. Power and water supplies will be cut off and without fresh drinking water, people are at great risk of disease.

Those lucky enough to have survived the initial impact of a tsunami are still in danger due to disease. Rotting corpses, smashed sewer lines, overcrowded refugee camps and contaminated freshwater are all factors in getting a disease.

Body disposal, and the disinfecting of affected areas, was a primary concern in the days following a tsunami. A significant amount of time and effort is spent on this problem. Massive pits and trenches are dug to quickly bury the dead bodies in hopes that the spread of diseases will be minimized. Grave sites and corpses are also sprayed with disinfectant to further combat the spread of disease. However, the total avoidance of disease spread was impossible. Infectious diseases such as yellow fever, diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid fever are just some of the many that threaten survivors of the tsunami.

Sometimes the most devastating effect of a tsunami can be fire, caused when gas pipes are severed and fuel tanks smashed.

Earthquakes can cause major changes to the seabed and can affect ocean currents. The coast can be altered too. An earthquake can make a coastline drop, leaving it permanently underwater.

What has been the biggest tsunami recorded and where and when did it hit?

Here is my final version for What has been the biggest tsunami recorded and where and when did it hit?

The highest tsunami recorded was in Alaska in 1958. It reached over 500 metres high because the waves were forced into the narrow bay. Luckily only two people were killed.
The Lituya Bay wave is generally described as the largest tsunami ever recorded in modern times, and has been given the special name of mega-tsunami. It was caused by a massive landslide, triggered by an earthquake of magnitude 8.3. When the wave rushed across the bay it ran up the valley walls to a height of 576 m at its maximum, (1720 ft) and over 100 m for the rest of the bay area. Note the damage marks, especially top right of the picture, where trees were stripped clean away from the valley walls from hundreds of metres up the sides. Lituya Bay was considered to be a safe haven for fishing boats, as it was always calm, even during storms. There were three boats in the bay at the time of the earthquake and the resulting massive landslide, and incredibly two of the boats and their crew survived the mega tsunami to tell the tale.
The Asian tsunami on December 26th 2004 is the worst to have happened in modern times. Although it was not as powerful as the Krakatoa tsunami, it was particularly devastating because of the huge loss of life – the greatest ever recorded. The tsunami hit in the middle of the morning during the busy holiday season.

If the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the Canary Islands erupted it could cause a huge landslide. If it triggered a mega tsunami it could destroy the east coast of the United States.

What warnings are given out when a tsunami is coming?

Here is my final answer for What warnings are given out when a tsunami is coming?

All oceans and most countries near oceans have a tsunami warning system. A tsunami warning system does three things.
1. It has a seismic monitoring network to detect seismic activity like earthquakes and a sea level monitoring network to detect sea level changes that may indicate a tsunami.
2. It has software to scientifically model the size, arrival time and impact points of the tsunami generated by the seismic event.
3. It has an established system for issuing warnings to emergency services and the general public in the affected areas about the approaching tsunamis.

What are the safety procedures when a tsunami hits?

Here is my final answer for What are the safety procedures when a tsunami hits?

The safety procedure of when a tsunami hits is:
1. Watch out for animals behaving oddly – they can detect a tsunami before humans.
2. If you feel the shudder of an earthquake head inland – a tsunami may be coming.
3. Move quickly to higher ground or the top floor or roof of a building.
4. Listen out for official warnings and expect more waves – the next wave may be bigger than the last.
5. Abandon all belongings – there is no time to collect possessions.
6. Don’t count on your car – the roads may be blocked.

Can tsunamis be prevented?

Here is my final answer for Can tsunamis be prevented?

Tsunamis can’t be prevented because they are the result of natural disasters. But there are a few things which can help track and take the power out of a tsunami.

Satellites and tracking buoys can track when a tsunami has been created and can track how fast they are travelling, how long they are, how tall they are, and can track where they are going. These help because they can then warn people that a tsunami is coming.

Tsunami walls are a precaution they some places have to try and stop tsunamis. Tsunami walls are very high and strong walls that when a tsunami hits, the walls can stop the tsunami from coming any further. Usually it places that are known to of have tsunamis hit regularly that have tsunami walls. Even though tsunami walls are quite large, they don’t always work.
Scientists have worked out that mangrove trees could help reduce the force of a tsunami. Mangrove trees can reduce the force of a tsunami because they are so well connected to the ground, they can withstand storms and tsunamis. There are not many mangrove trees around because they are chopped down for building construction.

What happens when a tsunami meets the shore?

Here is my final answer for What happens when a tsunami meets the shore?

Before a tsunami hits the shore the wave is a giant water wall. Then the water will crash down with tremendous power. It then rushes through the land taking with it anything in its path. Houses, trees and people don’t stand a chance as the water rushes through. The original colour of the water is white because of all the whitewash when the waves crash down. Then as soon as the water rushes through the land it changes colour to brown because of all the dirt and debris. Everything in the wave’s path is then picked up to make a floating death river.

Flying debris can kill. Since everything in its path is picked up all the water is filled with wood, dirt and other types of debris. Many of those killed in the Asian tsunami did not drown but were killed by pieces of wood and metal swept along by the wave.

Many people think that a tsunami is one large wave, but it’s not. A tsunami is a series of large waves. Waves can rush towards the shore for several hours. This makes it difficult to rescue people trapped by the water.

Are there areas in the world that have the most tsunamis?

Here is my final answer for Are there areas in the world that have the most tsunamis?

Obviously countries near oceans are at risk but there are certain areas with a greater risk.

The earth’s surface is made up of tectonic plates. A fault line is where two tectonic plates meet and when they do meet they either slide past each other, scrape together or crash head on causing an earthquake.

Fault lines are where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are most likely to happen and are also areas most affected by tsunamis. A major fault line stretching around the edges of the Pacific Ocean is often called “The Pacific Ring of Fire”. Other fault lines can cause tsunamis in the Indian Ocean and off the coast of Africa.
Places with reefs, bays and sloping beaches are in great risk because if a tsunami waves come in contact with a reef or bay, it can increase the height and power of the tsunami. Places with a bay that goes into a channel are at risk because a narrow channel, make a tsunami very high.

What are the signs of an approaching tsunami?

I added a bit to my last answer

There are many signs of an approaching tsunami to warn you. The first is that you should recognize the original cause of the tsunami. If there is an earthquake in the ocean then straight away you should know that there is a chance a tsunami is coming. It is easy to recognize an earthquake because you can feel the ground shake.

If there is a land volcanic eruption you will be able to see the smoke and feel the ground shake and then you should know that a tsunami is coming. An underwater volcanic eruption is harder to recognize because there is no smoke but you can still feel the ground shake.

If a meteorite lands in the ocean you may be able to recognize it because of it roaring through the sky and the smashing of it into the water.

A very clear sign that something is going to happen is the behaviour of animals. Animals can sense when a tsunami is coming long before humans can. In the Asian tsunami many people saw birds flying inland and making loud noises which was the signal that a tsunami was coming.

The main sign of an approaching tsunami is water rushing away from the shore. When a tsunami is approaching the waves suck all the water away from the shore to gain height and power. The water looks like it is retreating to the horizon. From the time the water is sucked away to the time it hits the shore is a few minutes.