tsunami - a formidable natural phenomenon resulting from volcanic eruptions or earthquakes in coastal areas.This giant wave, covering the coast for many kilometers inside.The term "tsunami" is Japanese origin, it literally sounds like a "big wave in the Gulf."It is Japan often suffers from a disaster strikes, as it is in the area of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" - the largest seismic belt of the Earth.
Causes
tsunami is formed by the "shaking" of billions of tons of water column.As the circles of stone thrown into water, the waves scatter in different directions at a speed of about 800 kilometers per hour to reach the shore and splashing on him huge shaft, destroying everything in its path.And often people trapped in the zone of the tsunami, there are a few minutes to leave the dangerous place.It is therefore important time to warn residents about the threat, not sparing funds.
largest tsunamis in the past 10 years
terrible tragedy occurred in the Indian Ocean in 2004.An undersea earthquake of magnitude 9.1 has caused the emergence of giant waves up to 98 meters. In a few minutes they reached the coast of Indonesia.Total disaster zone turned 14 countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Bangladesh.
It was the largest tsunami in the history of the number of victims has reached 230 thousand.The densely populated coastal areas were not equipped with alarm systems, which was the cause of so many
dead.But the victims could be much higher if the individual in the oral tradition of the peoples of these countries have not kept information about the tsunami in ancient times.Some families were told that they had to leave the dangerous place because of the children, who learned about the giant waves in the classroom.And the retreat of the sea, before returning in the form of a deadly tsunami, it was the signal to run higher on the slope.This confirmed the need to train people how to behave in an emergency.
biggest tsunami in Japan
spring of 2011, the Japanese islands struck trouble.March 11 off the coast of the country was an earthquake of magnitude 9.0, which has resulted in waves of up to 33 m. In some reports noted other figures - the crests of water reaching 40-50 m.
Despite the fact that almost all coastal cities have dike Japanto protect against tsunamis, earthquakes in the area that did not help.The number of dead and blown into the ocean, and the missing has more than 25 thousand people.People across the country anxiously poring over the lists of victims of the earthquake and tsunami, fearing to discover in them their loved ones.
were destroyed 125,000 buildings damaged transport infrastructure.But the most dangerous consequence was an accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant I. It almost led to a nuclear catastrophe on a global scale, the more so because the contamination has affected the Pacific Ocean.To eliminate the accident were thrown force not only the Japanese power industry, rescue and defense forces.Leading nuclear powers in the world also sent its experts to assist in the rescue of the environmental disaster.Although the current situation at the plant has stabilized, scientists still can not fully appreciate its implications.
Services tsunami warning notifying the danger of the Hawaiian Islands, the Philippines, and other areas within the zone of risk.But, fortunately, they reached the shores of already heavily weakened by a wave height of more than three meters.
So, the largest tsunami in the past 10 years occurred in the Indian Ocean and in Japan.
major disasters decade
Indonesia and Japan are among the countries where the destructive waves are frequent enough.For example, in July 2006 in Java again formed by the devastating tsunami underwater propulsion.The waves arrive at the 7-8 m, swept along the coast, capturing even those sites that miraculously suffered during the deadly 2004 tsunami.Residents and guests of the resort areas relived the horror of helplessness before the forces of nature.All during the revelry of elements were killed or disappeared 668 people and more than 9,000 have applied for medical aid.
In 2009, a major tsunami happened in the archipelago of Samoa, where almost 15-meter wave passed through the islands, destroying everything in its path.The death toll was 189 people, mostly children, are on the coast.But the operative work Tsunami Warning Center in the Pacific allowed to avoid even greater loss of life, enabling people to evacuate to safer places.
largest tsunamis in the past 10 years occurred in the Pacific and Indian Ocean off the coast of Eurasia.But this does not mean that such disasters can not happen in other parts of the globe.
devastating tsunami in the history of mankind
Human memory has preserved information about giant waves observed in ancient times.The oldest mention of the true tsunami that occurred in connection with the volcanic eruption on the island of Santorini Great.This event dates back to 1410 BC.
It was the largest tsunami in the world of antiquity.The explosion lifted into the sky most of the island, leaving in its place instantly filled with sea water basin.From a collision with a red-hot magma water rapidly boil and evaporate, reinforcing earthquake.The waters of the Mediterranean Sea reared, forming giant waves that hit the entire coast.Ruthless element took 100,000 lives, which is a very large number, even for the present, not what to ancient times.According to many scientists, it is an eruption and a tsunami has arisen as a result led to the disappearance of the Minoan culture of Crete, - one of the most mysterious ancient civilizations in the world.
In 1755, Lisbon was almost completely wiped out by a terrible earthquake, a fire in its result, and the terrible wave surging over the city afterwards.60,000 people were killed, many were wounded.Sailors from the ships arriving at the port of Lisbon after the accident, did not recognize the surrounding countryside.This disaster was one of the reasons for the loss of the Portuguese title of a great naval power.
30 thousand people became victims of the tsunami in Japan in 1707.In 1782, disaster in the South China Sea claimed the lives of 40 thousand people.The eruption of Krakatoa (1883) also caused a tsunami, which is connected with the death of 36,500 people.In 1868, the number of victims of the huge waves in Chile amounted to more than 25 thousand.1896 was marked by a new tsunami in Japan, which claimed more than 26,000 lives.
Alaska Tsunami
incredible wave was formed in 1958 in the Gulf of Alaska Lituyya.The primary reason for its occurrence was also an earthquake.But it will add to other circumstances.As a result of the earthquake from the slopes of the mountains on the coast of the Gulf came down a giant landslide is about 300 million cubic meters.m rock and ice.It all collapsed into the waters of the Gulf, causing the formation of colossal waves reach a height of 524 m!Scientist Miller said that before this there occurred the largest tsunami in the world.
on the opposite bank struck a blow with such force that the slopes were completely demolished all the vegetation and plenty of loose rocks, exposing bedrock.Three ships caught in the Gulf in the ill-fated moment had a different fate.One of them sank, the second break, but the team managed to escape.A third vessel, being on the crest of a wave, was moved through the braid, separating the bay, and thrown into the ocean.Only a miracle sailors died.Then they remembered how during the forced "flight" saw beneath treetops ship that grew on the spit.
Fortunately, the coast of the Gulf Lituyya almost deserted, so this unprecedented wave is not caused much harm.The biggest tsunami there were no big casualties.It is estimated that only 2 people were killed.
tsunami in the Russian Far East
In our country, to the tsunami hazard zone includes the Pacific coast of Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands.They also lie in a seismically unstable area, which often occur, and devastating earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
The largest tsunami recorded in Russia in 1952.The waves reach a height of 8-10 meters, hit the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka.The population was not prepared for this turn of events after the quake.Those who after termination of aftershocks survivors returned to the house, most of them never got out of them.City North-Kuril'sk was almost completely destroyed.The number of victims is estimated at 2,336, but probably many more.Which occurred a few days before the 35th anniversary of the tragedy of the October Revolution was suppressed for years, went about it just a rumor.The city was moved to higher and safer place.
Kuril tragedy became the basis for the organization of a tsunami warning service in the USSR.
lessons of the past
largest tsunamis in the past 10 years have shown the fragility of life and all that has been created by man, before the raging elements.But they are allowed to understand the need to coordinate the efforts of many countries to prevent the most dire consequences.And in most areas affected by the tsunami, in organizing the work on the prevention of the dangers and the need for evacuation.
