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Tsunami Science (December 31, 2004, Two)

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Program Summary

Coastal communities in Asia were devastated by a killer wave on December 26, 2004. Tsunamis are rare but deadly. What causes these massive walls of crushing water?

Our earth is made up of several plates of crust that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Under these plates, pressure constantly builds as hot magma flows and gasses are created. The plates need to move to relieve the pressure. And when they move we often feel it as earthquakes. Every day, somewhere on the planet an earthquake rocks the ground. Most often—since our planet is about 70% covered with water, these earthquakes rumble the ground under the seas and oceans. Most of them we never notice. But once in a while there is a significant underwater quake that shakes the water so hard it sets a deadly wall of water in motion. These waves—called tsunamis—don’t stop their motion until they crash into land.

Can tsunamis be predicted and can communities in danger protect themselves? In this hour, Ira and his guest talk about undersea earthquakes, the formation of tsunamis and the systems in place to warn people of these killer waves.

Guests

Harold Mofield, senior scientist at NOAA/Tsunami Research Program in the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington

Related Links and Resources

Tsunami! The WWW Tsunami Information Resource

Science Friday Kids’ Connection Curriculum Activities & Links Related to Severe Weather -- Compiled 01/03/05

For Discussion:

• What causes tsunamis? Why can they be so destructive?
• What are plate tectonics?
• What areas of the globe are at risk?
• How can coastal communities prepare for tsunamis?

Activities

Killer waves. Savage Earth: Waves of Destruction from PBS provides interesting, well-organized information and great visuals. Animation showing how tsunamis occur and interesting facts and historical data make this site not only a valuable resource for background but videos of eyewitness accounts also put a human face on the science.

Wipe out. To give kids a hands-on sense how a tsunami can level a community, check out Monster Waves from The Education Center. Students create models of villages and see first hand the devastation a tsunami can leave behind.

Catch a wave. It Comes in Waves from the NYTimes Learning Network asks students to research recent tsunamis, examine their sources and behavior and chart recent findings. In Shaken Up, students learn about the devastating aftermath of the tsunami in Asia and write their own stories from different angles.

Be prepared. Tsunami from FEMA for Kids has a good overview of tsunamis as well as things to know if you find yourself in an at-risk area after an earthquake. There are directions on how to prepare a disaster supply kit and how to protect your home and your pets.

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

Hear the Program

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