1

Tsunamis! By Ezequiel, Marcos, Jay, and

Tanisha

2

Introduction to Tsunamis Have you ever heard about tsunami? A

tsunami is a lot of water that joins together to make big waves. A tsunami is created by a submarine landslide, an earthquake under water, an underwater volcano, or a meteor that falls from the sky and hits the water. So if you see a tsunami, run to a big hill or get on a building to be safe from the waves. And if you see a tsunami, stay back because tsunamis are very dangerous.

3

Chapter 1: What Causes a Tsunami?

How Does This Natural Disaster Form?

Tsunamis

Tectonic plates play an important role in causing tsunamis. There are two tectonic plates. One plate goes under the other, and they slide together to cause the ocean floor to shake. This is called transform plates because the tectonic plates are sliding together. This causes the water to go out of control! Next, the water is forced out in different directions until it hits land. The waves travel at fast speeds, and when it hits the coast the height grows higher and higher until it forms a tsunami. Another example of tectonic plates shifting is when the two tectonic plates diverge (pull apart) and converge (come together) to form an underwater volcano. The pressure builds up and makes the water push out. Then waves get bigger and bigger. It finally hits land as a tsunami. Now that you know more about tectonic plates underwater, you can learn about the different underwater natural disasters.

4

What Happens Underwater?

Underwater Volcanoes

The volcano erupts underwater. The pressure from the explosions cause the water to go up and make the waves makes the tsunami. The waves move out and they continue to make more waves so the tsunami gets bigger. When the tsunami hits the shore, it quickly spreads in every direction.

Underwater Earthquakes

Tsunamis mostly start when the tectonic plates move. They go on top of each other and cause an earthquake and a force of water that makes a huge wave. This causes a big tsunami. Finally a tsunami is born when a tsunami hits the shore it causes a lot of damage and it is very fast. Underwater earthquakes cause a tsunami by the tectonic plates passing each other. This is called transform plates. It causes an underwater earthquake, and then earthquake causes the tsunami. Underwater earthquakes can be very dangerous because the earthquakes and underwater earthquakes can cause buildings to fall apart and not only that, the tsunami comes after the earthquakes. Fact: Every year, thousands of people are injured from a tsunami.

5

Meteors Hit the Water

Meteorites are caused by a big amount of asteroids clashed together, and when that meteorite crashes down to earth it lands in an ocean. After it makes a huge explosion and makes the waves splash. And as it moves it goes bigger and bigger. When it hits shore, the tsunami hits the buildings and can break them down, hurt people or animals and sometimes even kills them!

Landslides

The cause of a tsunami is when an underwater landslide starts. When a landslide is happening around a mountain the rocks fall and it hits the water. It becomes big and fast and that’s a tsunami. After that, the tsunami starts moving fast and starts getting bigger. Finally, it hits the land and there is a lot of madness. WARNING: When a landslide happens, stay far away!

6

Chapter 2: What are the Effects or Outcomes of a Tsunami?

How do Tsunamis Impact People’s Lives?

Tsunamis can impact people’s lives in

different ways. Tsunamis have a lot of water that can cause a lot of people to drown because there is so much water pushing you down. Another way tsunamis cause a lot of damage is when it spreads everywhere really fast that people don’t have a place to stand to survive the tsunami. They are safe on top of buildings, but people who are on land could get washed away. About 230,000-280,000 people can die from a tsunami if they do not know what to do and where to go. After a tsunami, water and food will get dirty and can poison people. In addition, people can get bad diseases that can make more sicknesses and they could not have the medicine to get better. Furthermore, many people can get broken bones or hurt their head from a tsunami. In conclusion, people need to more be more prepared or they could get hurt from a tsunami.

7

How do Tsunamis Impact the Environment?

What are tsunamis? Tsunamis are massive waves generated by a displacement of water and can have big disastrous effects on people. Underwater earthquakes or underwater explosions can trigger these waves, such as those caused by volcanic activity, meteors or landslides. Tsunamis are very dangerous so watch out!

What is the speed of a tsunami? Unnoticed tsunami waves can travel at the speed of a commercial jet plane. Tsunamis travel much slower in shallower coastal waters where their wave heights begin to increase dramatically. After a tsunami hits land, the beaches are destroyed with fast waves and wind. In addition to the destruction, tsunamis destroy trees and fields where food grows. The food is ruined thanks to the huge waves washing them away. People have to use lots of money to rebuild their homes and lives. People can spend thousands to millions of dollars to remake what the tsunamis destroyed. It takes years to redo everything.

In conclusion, tsunamis can impact people, places, and buildings by splashing huge sheets of water on them and breaking them down because of how strong and thick the waves are.

8

Conclusion Japan has a combined total confirmed

number of deaths and missing people from a tsunami, and it is more than 2,000,000 people! Japan is just one of the examples, but living near the ocean can be dangerous because your home could be destroyed by tsunami at any second so watch out! Tsunamis unleash savage waves that can kill lots of people and animals. They are also ruining the environment because they make buildings and trees fall down. A tsunami can be right in front of you, so you have to know the warning signs so you won’t get hurt! Watch the waves to see if they get bigger and listen to weather reports to find out if your home could be hit by a tsunami. Your life could depend on it!