How Far Inland Would A Mile High Tsunami Travel?
Know the tsunami is coming – Most tsunamis are triggered when earthquakes near the seafloor displace a large amount of water, That water gets pushed out as a series of waves that move outwards in all directions. Undersea volcanic eruptions, landslides, and even meteorites can also spark tsunamis.
- Out on the sea, these waves can be hundreds of miles long but no taller than a few feet and travel at the speed of a jet plane, up to 500 miles per hour.
- When the waves approach land, they will slow to about 20 or 30 miles an hour and begin to grow in height.
- Most tsunamis are less than 10 feet high when they hit land, but they can reach more than 100 feet high.
When a tsunami comes ashore, areas less than 25 feet above sea level and within a mile of the sea will be in the greatest danger. However, tsunamis can surge up to 10 miles inland. “It’s really just kind of relentless, the water just keeps on coming and coming and coming for a long time,” Garrison-Laney says.
The tsunami could resemble a wall of water or, more likely, a rapidly rising flood, “It’s not going to look like big, curling waves like you see at the beach,” Garrison-Laney says. “It’s really a very turbulent flow that is rising and flowing onto land pretty quickly.” Before this happens, though, there may be a few warning signs.
First you’ll need to survive the earthquake, if there was one. After a strong coastal quake, make sure you get to high ground even if an official tsunami warning has not yet been issued. If a local tsunami has been generated it could be mere minutes away.
“You cannot wait for the authorities if it’s a significant earthquake and you live along the coast,” says Denis Chang Seng, technical secretary for UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and connected seas.
As Denis García discovered in 1960, a tsunami can also cause the ocean to withdraw before it arrives, leaving sand and reefs bare. There may be a roaring noise like a train or jet plane as well. “You have to recognize the warning signs from nature itself,” Chang Seng says.
- Meanwhile, tsunami tracking centers such as the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii or the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska will put out an alert,
- So be on the lookout for official warnings, sirens, and directions from your local authorities.
- You don’t want to hesitate if you know a warning’s been issued or you’ve felt the ground shaking,” says Laura Kong, director of the International Tsunami Information Center in Honolulu.
“You want to get going.”
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How many miles inland does a tsunami go?
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Houses above the inundation zone in this Japanese village survived intact, while everything below was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami. (Image credit: Patrick Corcoran, Oregon State University) Maybe the fastest man in the world could run a 6-minute mile for 6 miles (10 kilometers) while a terrifying wall of water chased him through a coastal city.
- But most people couldn’t.
- Yet a myth persists that a person could outrun a tsunami,
- That’s just not possible, tsunami safety experts told LiveScience, even for Usain Bolt, one of the world’s quickest sprinters.
- Getting to high ground or high elevation is the only way to survive the monster waves.
- I try to explain to people that it doesn’t really matter how fast is coming in, the point is that you really shouldn’t be there in the first place,” said Rocky Lopes of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Tsunami Mitigation, Education and Outreach program.
But because they didn’t know the warning signals, ignored them or just couldn’t get to safety in time, more than 200,000 people died in tsunamis in the past decade. And it’s not just tsunamis: Underestimating the power of the ocean kills thousands every year in hurricane storm surges. 
Tsunamis gain height as they approach the shore.
How far inland can a 1000 Ft tsunami go?
Where Will the Water Reach? – Am I in danger? Where Will the Water Reach? Tsunami waves can continously flood or inundate low lying coastal areas for hours. Flooding can extend inland by 300 meters (~1000 feet) or more, covering large expanses of land with water and debris.
Tsunami inundation is the horizontal, inland penetration of waves from the shoreline. Flooding can extend inland by 300 meters (~1000 feet) or more, covering large expanses of land with water and debris. Inundation distances can vary greatly along the shorelines, depending on the intensity of the tsunami waves, the undersea features, and the land topographic elevations.
One coastal community may see no damaging wave activity, while another nearby community can be attacked by large and violent waves. When the tsunami reaches the coast and moves inland, the water level can rise many meters. The first wave may not be the largest in the series of waves.
Tsunami inundation is the horizontal, inland penetration of waves from the shoreline. Inundation distances can vary greatly along the shorelines, depending on the intensity of the tsunami waves, the undersea features, and the land topographic elevations. One coastal community may see no damaging wave activity, while another nearby community can be attacked by large and violent waves.
When the tsunami reaches the coast and moves inland, the water level can rise many meters. The first wave may not be the largest in the series of waves.
How far does the tsunami wave travel inland in deep Impact?
Introduction – Over the last fifty years scientists have found in nature enough evidence of a previously unknown natural phenomenon that, although similar to “traditional” Tsunamis, may in fact cause an incomparable level of destruction along the coastlines. 
Image: Mega-Tsunami: fiction picture gives an idea of wave height Waves of this type are called Mega Tsunami, They are so great that they can reach several hundred meters in height, travel at the speed of a jet aircraft and get up to 12 miles (20 Kilometers) inland.
Video: Mega-tsunami, wave of destruction | The documentary by BBC (full) A mega-tsunami is an extremely rare and destructive phenomenon that strikes the world every few thousand years. Unfortunately, as seen in the documentary above, there is a concrete possibility that it will occur again in the near future.
A mega-tsunami has almost unlimited power to cause utter destruction and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Even the most powerful waves, the tidal waves known to science by their Japanese name Tsunami, cannot create such destruction. A mega-tsunami is an informal term to describe a tsunami with initial wave amplitude (height) much larger than usual tsunamis.
- Mega-tsunamis are several tens, hundreds, or possibly thousands of meters high and they are able to cross oceans and ravage countries on the other side of the world.
- Generally, a tsunami is caused by an earthquake near the shore or underwater.
- Normal tsunamis usually originate from offshore earthquakes, submarine landslides and undersea volcanic activity, and range from barely perceptible waves to walls of water up to 300 feet high.
The biggest submarine earthquakes can shift the ocean bed up or down by around 10 metres and that produces tsunamis on that sort of scale, but not very much bigger. Normal tsunamis created by an earthquake on the ocean floor have only small wave heights while off shore.
They also have a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometres long) and they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a slight swell usually of the order of 30 cm (12 inch) above the normal sea surface. However, the height of normal tsunami waves increases dramatically when they reach land as the base of the wave pushes the water column on top of it upwards.
By contrast, something massive is needed to create waves with such a great height in the case of a mega-tsunami. So, what kind of event can create a mega-tsunami? Unlike usual tsunamis, mega-tsunamis are caused by giant landslides and other impact events such as volcanic eruptions or huge asteroids crashing into the sea.
What is the highest tsunami wave ever recorded?
Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958 Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. It inundated five square miles of land and cleared hundreds of thousands of trees. Remarkably, only two fatalities occurred.
Can a tsunami travel 4000 miles?
The Indian Ocean tsunami generated by the most powerful earthquake in decades on December 26 is believed to have killed more than 150,000 people and made millions homeless, making it perhaps the most destructive tsunami in history. The epicenter of the 9.0 magnitude quake was under the Indian Ocean near the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey, which monitors earthquakes worldwide. A violent movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates displaced an enormous amount of water, sending powerful shock waves in every direction. Within hours killer waves radiating from the epicenter slammed into the coastline of 11 Indian Ocean countries, snatching people out to sea, drowning others in their homes or on beaches, and demolishing property from Africa to Thailand.
Tsunamis have been relatively rare in the Indian Ocean. They are most prevalent in the Pacific. But every ocean has generated the scourges. Many countries are at risk. In the wake of the Christmas weekend tsunami in the Indian Ocean, one of the worst disasters in history, National Geographic News examines the killer waves’ causes and warning signs—information that can be a lifesaver in a tsunami zone.
• A tsunami is a series of great sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. More rarely, a tsunami can be generated by a giant meteor impact with the ocean. Scientists have found traces of an asteroid-collision event that they say would have created a giant tsunami that swept around the Earth several times, inundating everything except the mountains 3.5 billion years ago.
The coastline of the continents was changed drastically and almost all life on land was exterminated. ( Read the story ) • Tsunami (pronounced soo-NAH-mee) is a Japanese word. Tsunamis are fairly common in Japan and many thousands of Japanese have been killed by them in recent centuries.
- An earthquake generates a tsunami if it is of sufficient force and there is violent movement of the earth causing substantial and sudden displacement of a massive amount of water.
- A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves, also known as a wave train.
- The first wave in a tsunami is not necessarily the most destructive.
Tsunamis are not tidal waves. • Tsunami waves can be very long (as much as 60 miles, or 100 kilometers) and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without great loss of energy. The Indian Ocean tsunami traveled as much as 3,000 miles (nearly 5,000 kilometers) to Africa, arriving with sufficient force to kill people and destroy property.
How high is a tsunami wave in the open ocean?
Tsunamis may reach a maximum vertical height onshore above sea level, called a runup height, of 98 ft. (30 meters). A notable exception is the landslide-generated tsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska in 1958, which produced a 1722 ft. wave (525 m).
Can you survive a tsunami in a boat?
If I Have a Boat – WHAT TO DO? TSUNAMI SAFETY FOR BOATERS 1. Since tsunami waves cannot be seen in the open ocean, do not return to port if you are at sea and a tsunami warning has been issued. Port facilities may become damaged and hazardous with debris. Listen to mariner radio reports when it is safe to return to port.2. Tsunamis can cause rapid changes in water level and unpredictable dangerous currents that are magnified in ports and harbors. Damaging wave activity can continue for many hours following initial tsunami impact. Contact the harbor authority or listen to mariner radio reports. Make sure that conditions in the harbor are safe for navigation and berthing.3. Boats are safer from tsunami damage while in the deep ocean ( > 100 m) rather than moored in a harbor. But, do not risk your life and attempt to motor your boat into deep water if it is too close to wave arrival time. Anticipate slowdowns caused by traffic gridlock and hundreds of other boaters heading out to sea.4. For a locally-generated tsunami, there will be no time to motor a boat into deep water because waves can come ashore within minutes. Leave your boat at the pier and physically move to higher ground.5. For a tele-tsunami generated far away, there will be more time (one or more hours) to deploy a boat. Listen for official tsunami wave arrival time estimates and plan accordingly.6. Most large harbors and ports are under the control of a harbor authority and/or a vessel traffic system. These authorities direct operations during periods of increased readiness, including the forced movement of vessels if deemed necessary. Keep in contact with authorities when tsunami warnings are issued. Download and print these boater safety tips : Tsunami Safety for Boaters flyer (PDF) Click here to for the Hawaii Boater’s Hurricane and Tsunami Safety Manual,
How high above sea level is safe from a tsunami?
If no maps or signs are available, go to an area 100 feet above sea level or two miles inland, away from the coast. If you cannot get this far, go as high as possible. Every foot inland or upwards can make a difference.
Can a tsunami reach Atlanta?
New York and Boston are on the water and would be in danger from a tsunami of any size, Philadelphia is 39 feet above sea level and 50 miles inland. Atlanta is over 200 miles inland and between 750 and 1100 feet above sea level.
Can a tsunami reach Georgia?
Tsunami of 19 August, 2016 (South Georgia Islands Region) – A major earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.4 (USGS magnitude) occurred at 07:32:22 UTC 19 August, 2016 (day 232) and was located 197 m/315 km ESE of Grytviken, South Georgia (55.279S, 31.874E, 10.0 km/ 6.3 mi depth – USGS location).
- This earthquake produced a tsunami that was recorded at tide gages monitored by the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC).
- Many observatories provide data to the centers; such as the NOAA National Ocean Service, the U.
- Of Hawaii Sea Level Center, the Chilean Navy, the Japan Meteorological Agency and the National Tidal Facility in Australia among others.
Click on the site name to see a graph of the tsunami, when available. Listed wave heights are maximum amplitude in cm (above sea level). Observed Arrival time is the actual tsunami arrival time in UTC on gages where it could be determined. The Computed Arrival time is the estimated time of wave arrival computed at the NTWC based on the earthquake origin time and location.
| Tide gage/ Measurement Location | Estimated Arrival Time | Observed Arrival time | Peak amplitude (above sea level in cm) | Time of Peak Amplitude Measurement | Model Forecast Amplitude (above sea level in cm) | Initial motion | Sample Interval (min) | Data File (Julian Day Starts at 0000 UTC) |
| King Edward Point, Uk | – | 0816 (232) | 14 | 0929 (232) | – | ? | 1 | 232, 233 |
What is the farthest a tsunami has Travelled?
Not the deadliest – Despite easily being able to wash over the Empire State Building, the monster wave of 1958 wasn’t the most destructive. That devastating record was broken by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that was one tenth of the height. On 26th December 2004 an earthquake that hit over 9.3 on the Richter Scale caused a tunnel of water.
- The tsunami travelled over 3,000 miles impacting 17 countries in Southeastern and Southern Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa.
- With a recorded death toll of 230,000 people and damages over $10 billion, it is one of the worst disasters the modern world has ever seen.
- Unlike the 500m wave that hit 60 years ago, that broke with almost no one around, this utter destruction was possible because of the hundreds of hotels and businesses built in a tsunami risk zone.
It highlights the need to carefully think about where homes and businesses are built to avoid the creation of new risk and reduce exposure to people at risk. Only when this is taken into account can we stop natural events turning into disaster.
What is the biggest tsunami ever recorded?
Lituya Bay, Alaska, July 9, 1958 Its over 1,700-foot wave was the largest ever recorded for a tsunami. It inundated five square miles of land and cleared hundreds of thousands of trees.
