HW_Tsunami Atlantic Ocean

EES 0836 Tsunami in the North Atlantic Ocean Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood Introduction Following the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 that killed an estimated 300,000 people, NOAA updated its tsunami warning systems. Are tsunami buoys in the Atlantic Ocean necessary? In this assignment, we will investigate the tsunami hazards of the North Atlantic Ocean with regards to both major population/economic centers. With the help of Dr. Ilya Buynevich’s reaction to a clip from the movie Tidal Wave: No Escape (1997) we will also be able to infer what the wave might look like if it hit the coast of New Jersey, given the different trigger events from this activity. Learning Objective ● Identify the potential hazards associated with tsunamis in the Atlantic Ocean. (1, 5, a, b) ● Discuss the role science plays in helping to shape tsunami-specific policy. (1, 2, 5, b, c) Part 1 : Identification of major ports and population centers. Below is a list of six major ports or population centers that border the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Major Ports and Terminals of the Atlantic LI Lisbon (Portugal) DA Dakar (Senegal) NY New York (US) CA Casablanca (Morocco) HA Halifax (Nova Scotia) RK Reykjavik (Iceland) Looking at the map, you can see there are several coastal population centers. Think back to the lectures on tsunami generation. What are the triggers for tsunamis on the east coast ? For each trigger event you come up with, explain how that event could trigger a tsunami. Your list of possible tsunami triggers and explanation of how it could produce a tsunami: Earthquakes and landslides are the events that can cause a tsunami on the east coast. Earthquakes: Large earthquakes on the sea floor cause the water above to shift and move, which is what causes most tsunamis. Landslides: Underwater earthquakes make landslides, which in turn lead to tsunamis. LI NY DA CA HA RK

EES 0836 Part 2 : Calculate travel times for each location. For the purposes of this part of the assignment, we will concentrate on three distinct locations where the conditions to produce a catastrophic tsunami exist. Canary Islands : volcanic collapse of the west coast of La Palma (28.7 N, 17.9 W) Antilles Trench : megathrust earthquake (17.9 N, 61.0 W) Maritime Continental Shelf : catastrophic landslide (44.5 N, 57.0 W) Of concern is the time it would take for a tsunami to reach each of the important ports. We will assume straight lines to calculate distance. We will also simplify by 1) assuming constant travel velocity, 2) ignoring effects of seafloor bathymetry or wave refraction, and 3) assuming tsunami waves radiate out equally in all directions. Using a constant open-ocean tsunami velocity of 700 kilometers / hour and the equation: Time = Distance / velocity , calculate the time in hours for tsunami waves to reach each port. Tsunami Travel Times Canary Islands Antilles Trench Maritime Shelf Location Distance (km) Hours Distance (km) Hours Distance (km) Hours CA 1,120 1.6 5,550 7.93 4,130 5.90 DA 1,530 2.81 4,640 6.63 4,490 6.41 HA 4,350 6.21 2,970 4.24 510 0.73 LI 1,370 1.96 5,530 7.90 4,030 5.76 NY 5,250 7.50 2,840 4.06 1,430 2.04 RK 3,970 5.67 5,920 8.46 3,100 4.43 5.14, 9.41, 3.73, 5.21, 4.53, 6.19 Questions: 1. Which city averages the closest to all three danger zones? ____ HA ________ 2. Which city averages the farthest distance? _____ RK _______ 3. What is the minimum time recorded on your chart? _____ 0.73 Hours _______ 4. For which city? ______ HA ______ 5. Would you support the idea that more tsunami buoys are needed in the Atlantic Ocean? Why or why not? ( 2-3 sentences ) I agree that the Atlantic Ocean should have more tsunami buoys. When it comes to saving lives, costs shouldn't be a factor. Many people can be saved from knowing about a tsunami hours before hand. Part 3 : The impact of Deep Impact