Introduction.
Tsunamis are a constant threat that has devastated many ocean bordering countries. We believe that this disaster is possibly one of the most dangerous and destructive natural disasters to occur. After hours of research we have found that the best way to mitigate the negative effects of tsunamis is to create more public awareness. In this report we will explain why we believe public awareness is the most important mitigation strategy for tsunamis. However, first you need to understand a bit more about tsunamis.
What is a tsunami?
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by volcanic eruptions, landslides and earthquakes. These are caused out in the depths of the ocean, tsunamis are not caused or affected by the wind unlike most other waves. Tsunamis don't increase in size but when they travel closer they keep on building in size as the depth of the ocean decreases. Tsunamis may travel as fast as jet planes and only slow when they come into contact with land. Tsunamis only become dangerous when they reach land; they travel unnoticed right up until they reach land.
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https://www.britannica.com/science/tsunami
What are the different ways tsunamis are caused?
There are many ways tsunamis can be caused with the main being an underwater earthquake. Ever since the year 1900 just over seventy percent of five-plus meter tsunamis have been caused by underwater earthquakes. An underwater earthquake forms a tsunami by one tectonic plate sliding under another, therefore, pushing one side up and displacing a large amount of water. However, this is not the only way tsunamis can form and it does not mean that we should forget about the other ways tsunamis can be formed for one being a landslide of great magnitude this is actually how the world's largest tsunami was formed in Lituya bay Alaska in 1958. Our expert states that NZ is mainly susceptible to tsunamis caused by earthquakes due to us living on a faultline.
As you can see here over half of all tsunamis are caused by earthquakes. This leaves around twenty-eight per cent of tsunamis divided into four other sections. However, we know that tsunamis caused by landslides can form a much larger tsunami than earthquakes depending on their size and other factors. In conclusion, this graph shows only causes and I wonder how it compares to the average size of tsunamis.
What are the different types of tsunamis?
There are three different types of tsunamis. You may be wondering what categories each tsunami fits in. Well, It is all measured by the distance to when the tsunami is to hitting land. This means that they all have different names with the most dangerous being the Local tsunami this is a tsunami that is generated only just offshore and will hit in 1hour or less. Colin says this is very specific to New Zealand as we are based on a large fault line that has the possibility of forming a 5m plus tsunami very close to land.
The other ways a tsunami can be formed are regional tsunamis. These are the middle ground of tsunamis as they are usually 2-5 hours away.
And the last way is a distant tsunami which is 5+ hours away to hit New Zealand this would most likely have formed off the coast of Chile. Collin says these are easier to detect as we have detection systems in place between here and Chile.
How Vulnerable is New Zealand to tsunamis?
It is clear that New Zealand is susceptible to tsunamis due to its large coastline and where we lies in the ring of fire. You may be wondering how has NZ dodged being hit by devastating tsunamis? This is not true that we have been dogged. In fact, we have been hit by eighty plus five-meter and higher tsunamis in the past hundred years. This is truly worrying as a large tsunami could hit NZ at any moment. The only thing we can predict is where it is most likely to come from with the main being the east coast of NZ due to the large fault line that runs out of wellington. A devastating tsunami generated there will inflict a large amount of damage on infrastructure. Also, there will be a great loss of life. Colin says that a tsunami formed on that faultline will be devastating
to NZ
What are some current mitigation methods for tsunamis?
There are not too many mitigation methods to stop tsunamis from happening. But there are certainly some mitigation methods to stop the horrible effects of tsunamis. One of the best and most effective ways to mitigate tsunamis around the world and in New Zealand is public awareness. So people can spot the signs and head for higher ground/safety. One of the reasons the boxing day tsunami had so many casualties was because nobody was educated on tsunamis. People got drawn to the beach after the first wave hit. Because it looked so strange and amazing. Many more 100 feet waves came and killed many of the bystanders because they were so uneducated about tsunamis and went down to the beach. Our expert Colin Whittaker also thinks the same as us.
Another way we could mitigate the harmful effects of tsunamis is through sea walls. Sea walls can sometimes stop smaller tsunamis from hitting the shore. Or for the bigger ones it will reduce the hydrodynamic forces that will be imposed on structures within the tsunami zone. But the reason these are not used very often is because they damage the beach, cause erosion and they also look unattractive.
Early warning systems are a key way to mitigate the harmful effects of tsunamis and stop as many fatalities. They need to have sirens for everyone on the beach to hear that are warning you of a tsunami. There also must be an alarm that goes off on cell phones warning you about tsunamis even if you are not in the danger zone.
What can be done in the future to mitigate the harmful effects of tsunamis?
Deep ocean waveform generators' pressure can be employed to completely stop tsunamis. Scientists have discovered that by spreading a tsunamis energy over a larger area of sea floor, these monsters' height and speed can be reduced before they reach land. They could even be able to completely stop the wave.
Another similar way is to use arbitrary waveform generators. They will be fired at tsunamis in such a way that they will reduce the height and it will cause the energy to be disputed over a larger area resulting in not as much of a wave. The only problem with this method is that we have not found a way to engineer these waveforms.
How much do the mitigation methods cost?
One of the many problems with seawalls is the price. Sea walls are one of the most expensive methods. Sea walls only last for about thirty to fifty years. The cost to date has just been over half a million dollars to build the controversial seawall in the Auckland harbour. Auckland city council claims to have spent more than money on just the engineering and legals for it.
However, if we look at public awareness it will cost nothing in most cases. People will be very keen to educate the youth of New Zealand on the dangers of tsunamis. And even the adults that are under educated on tsunamis.
Who should pay for these methods?
With the New Zealand tax rate already at a very high rate. I do not feel it would be fair to make us pay for sea walls. However, somebody has to pay for these sea walls. Not everybody wants sea walls in New Zealand. And not everybody will pay for sea walls here in New Zealand. So for me, it only seems fair if the government funds the cost of sea walls.
Public awareness will cost nothing in most cases. But if it does the people receiving the treatment should pay the little amount that it will cost or the government should. Which could save your life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this report has covered the main points around tsunamis about what they are, how they are caused and all about the mitigation of tsunamis. As stated at the start of this report we have found a thesis for our fertile question, How can we mitigate the negative effects of a tsunami? After a lot of time and effort into this inquiry comparing different answers to our question, we believe that public awareness is the best way to mitigate the negative effects of a tsunami as you need people to survive so you can rebuild and recover from a tsunami.
Thesis.
I feel like Joseph and I have looked very deeply into this topic. And overall, I feel like we have found a solution to best mitigate the harmful effects of tsunamis. Public awareness needs to be raised and taught to everyone to best mitigate the harmful effects of tsunamis. The reason for this is so people can see the signs of a possible tsunami and get to a safer place.
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