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1. Finding and describing science ideas about tsunami waves                                                                                         

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1. Finding and describing science ideas about tsunami waves                                                                                         

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2. Using calculations to describe tsunami waves   

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2. Using calculations to describe tsunami waves   

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3. Finding information on the tsunami risk for the Mercury Bay area and discussing the implications of this risk for the coastal town of Whitianga 

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3. Finding information on the tsunami risk for the Mercury Bay area and discussing the implications of this risk for the coastal town of Whitianga 

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Giant slabs of the Earth’s crust, called tectonic plates, grind together. Sometimes, though, the plates get stuck, the pressure builds up and they suddenly slam into a new position. This causes an earthquake. If an earthquake lifts or drops part of the ocean floor, the water above rises and starts spreading across the ocean, causing a tsunami. Underwater landslides or volcanic eruptions can also displace water (cause water to spread across the ocean) and may lead to a tsunami.

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Out in the open ocean, tsunami waves are only about one-metre high because the water is deep. However, as the water becomes shallow, the waves slow down and begin to grow. They can rise 35m or higher – that’s the same as a 10-floor block of flats! However, the scariest thing about a tsunami is its wavelength, as this determines how far inland it can travel. Whereas a large wave caused by a storm might have a wavelength of up to 150m, a tsunami could reach up to a fearsome 1,000km!

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Shoaling happens as the wave speed and wavelength decreases as the Tsunami reaches the shore, which increases wave height

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A normal wind wave travels at about 90kmh, but a tsunami can race across the ocean at an incredible 970kmh! Sometimes, before a tsunami hits, there is a huge vacuum effect, sucking water from harbours and beaches. People can see the ocean floor littered with flopping fish and other sea animals. Then a wave blasts onto the shore minutes later, then another and another for two hours or more. There may also be up to one hour between each wave.

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Can you predict when a tsunami is coming?

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Can you predict when a tsunami is coming?

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To save lives, scientists established the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, based in Hawaii, in the USA. Its network of detectors can track quakes that may cause a tsunami. These waves can race from one side of the Pacific Ocean to the other in less than a day, so people need to be warned in time to head for higher ground!

This is the best site for information on past tsunamis in NZ. There are several pages to go through.

https://teara.govt.nz/en/tsunamis/page-2

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Calculate how long the town might have before a tsunami arrives from Chile to Whitianga:

distance from Chile to Whitianga = 9,100km
speed of tsunami in the open ocean = 745 kmh-1

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https://www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/assets/WRC/Services/regional-services/hazards-and-emergency-management/coastal/tsunami/eastern-coromandel-strategy/Mercury-Bay-Summary-Document.pdf

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https://getready.govt.nz/en/emergency/tsunami/

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Magnify the height of the Tsunami which makes them more dangerous as they can travel further inland