Tsunamis Essay -- Tsunamis Natural Disasters Nature Essays

TsunamisTable of Contents1Introduction2Impact to human life3Impact to Non-human life4Impact to the milieu7Impact to the Economy8American Red Cross Assistance9Conclusion13Bibliography14IntroductionA grand Tsunami (Japanese for Harbor wave) had hit southern Asia the day after Christmas 2004. The cause of the Tsunami was an offshore earthquake that results in the tectonic plates being displaced and the creation of a plumb shift in the ocean floor. This vertical shift lead to a large volume of water being uplifted and turned to create a huge wave that traveled up to 300 miles per hour, gradually slowing as it reached the shore. At that time, people in the coastal areas were not aware of the panic that they were about to endure. They received no warnings of the tsunami. Unfortunately, 10 meters of the wave caught many people by surprise, as they looked dumfounded when the ocean engulfed them whole. To date this disaster is believed to have killed all over three hundred thousand peopl e, marking itself as one of the most devastating Tsunamis ever. The waves from the Tsunami destroyed everything in their path and drowned most innocent living things with it. It has straightway been concluded that the earthquake, which caused this Tsunami, was probably twice as strong as originally estimated - a magnitude 9.15 instead of 9.0. Much of the slippage along the fault is believed to have taken place as much as a half an hour after the initial quake and go ond up to three hours afterward. Additionally, it is feared that earthquake could continue to affect the region for many years and could trigger more large quakes (Eric P H Yap, 2005).It is believed that some areas were harder hit, by the Tsunamis strength, than others due to coastal technical development. The development of coastal areas damages or totally destroys much of the surrounding coral reefs. Certain areas, such as in the Maldives, still have a network of coral reefs and intact mangroves that may have prote cted the island from the open sea. Poorly planned coastal development has compounded the impact of the tsunami, said Mubariq Ahmad, head word of WWF Indonesia. It is vital that we dont make the mistakes of the past. We need to rebuild in a sustainable and safe way (Le Tourneau Gore, 2005).Impact to human lifeTh... ... MESBAHI of Share The World s Resource s (STWR). The tsunami and Brandt Report 1 Edition. Papua - New Guinea Post - Courier 7 February 2005. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest.UN Rehabilitation of severely affected mangroves would help speed recovery from tsunami, says aliment and agriculture organization. M2 Presswire 20 January 2005. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest.Rinne, Pasi et al. After the Tsunami Rapid Environmental Assessment. United Nations Environment Programme. 2005.Eric Bellman in Lake Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, and Timothy Mapes in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Tsunami Aftermath Scarred Earth result Nature Bounce Back? Salt Water and Debris Alter Ecosystems Threatening Fi elds, Reefs and Forests. Asian Wall Street Journal New York, N.Y. 17 Jan. 2005,A.5. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest.Animal orbiter News. Slow Recovery for Seal Life. 12 Jan.2005. 30 May 2005. Animal Friends Croatia. Tsunamis killed animals, too 30 May 2005. Animal Planet News. Tsunamis Destroy Sea Life. 3 Jan. 2005. Animal Planet News. Sri Lankan Wildlife Avoided the Tsunamis. 4 Jan 2005. 30 May 2005. Donaldson-Evans, Catherine. Tsunami Animals A Sixth Sense? 9 Jan. 2005. 30 May 2005.