NATURAL PROCESSES
(7)
The natural process of an earthquake always happens over millions of years. There are three different types of faults: strike-slip, thrust, and normal. The type of fault off the coast of Sumatra was a thrust fault. (3) “The Indo-Australian plate has been sliding under the continental Eurasian plate for millions of years.” This trench is called the Sunda trench which is 4,000 meters deep. Tectonic plates move about 60-70 millimeters per year, but over years tensions will build up when plates get locked, but then is eventually released creating an earthquake. Eventually the Eurasian plate was lifted about 5 m which helped create the tsunami. (1)
In the Indian Ocean close to the west coast of Sumatra was the epicenter of the earthquake measuring 9.0 magnitudes. The movement of the tectonic plates pushing up and against each other is the cause of the monstrous amounts of water that makes up a disastrous tsunami.
Almost directly after the attack of the earthquake, we knew about the tsunami that was to come. Tsunami warnings signaled for the Indian Ocean and within as little as thirty minutes the tsunami was attacking the coasts of northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands. (5)
As discussed in the book, there are five Fundamental Concepts for Understanding Natural Processes as Hazards. These are realizing that hazards are predictable, analyzing the risks, understanding the links between natural disasters, having knowledge of the sizes of hazards, and minimizing the damage from disasters.
Knowing that hazards are predictable motivates and gives that extra push to geologists to warn before disaster strikes. Although predictions can sometimes be off and not exactly correct, they are better than not having previous warning.
If we discover the predictions of a disaster we can analyze what the risks would be for the people living in the targeted area. I also understand it to be very important and necessary to recognize the links between natural disasters, such as the Sumatra Earthquake leading to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. When we can do this we are able to not only start preparation on the first disaster, but also for the second one too. We may even be able to lessen the power of it also, in some cases.
Because we have the ability to measure the size of earthquakes through the richter scale and other resources we have now days we can know the sizes of the disasters and prepare accordingly.
All of these concepts all come down to being prepared. Through all of the knowledge we can obtain through research and evaluation we have the capability of great things. In being warned and prepared for disaster we will be better able to prevent deaths and destruction in the world if we take the proactive and necessary actions. (3)
As for prevention measures that can take place in disaster targeted places, there are actually a few. Countries should make sure that they have a warning system—a way to warn the whole city, especially people on the beaches. These systems do not have to be fancy or high tech. It can even just be police cars with their sirens on, people on bikes, or people in their cars. They should also have a plan for evacuation in the time of a crisis. If a city does not have an evacuation plan, chaos could break out and abandonment will not be able to occur in the orderly fashion that it could. (4)
In conclusion, earthquakes and tsunamis are very strong and powerful natural hazards that occur all the time in our world. There is not a whole lot we can do to prevent these occurrences. However, what we can do is weaken the impact and make the outcome better.
In the Indian Ocean close to the west coast of Sumatra was the epicenter of the earthquake measuring 9.0 magnitudes. The movement of the tectonic plates pushing up and against each other is the cause of the monstrous amounts of water that makes up a disastrous tsunami.
Almost directly after the attack of the earthquake, we knew about the tsunami that was to come. Tsunami warnings signaled for the Indian Ocean and within as little as thirty minutes the tsunami was attacking the coasts of northern Sumatra and the Nicobar Islands. (5)
As discussed in the book, there are five Fundamental Concepts for Understanding Natural Processes as Hazards. These are realizing that hazards are predictable, analyzing the risks, understanding the links between natural disasters, having knowledge of the sizes of hazards, and minimizing the damage from disasters.
Knowing that hazards are predictable motivates and gives that extra push to geologists to warn before disaster strikes. Although predictions can sometimes be off and not exactly correct, they are better than not having previous warning.
If we discover the predictions of a disaster we can analyze what the risks would be for the people living in the targeted area. I also understand it to be very important and necessary to recognize the links between natural disasters, such as the Sumatra Earthquake leading to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. When we can do this we are able to not only start preparation on the first disaster, but also for the second one too. We may even be able to lessen the power of it also, in some cases.
Because we have the ability to measure the size of earthquakes through the richter scale and other resources we have now days we can know the sizes of the disasters and prepare accordingly.
All of these concepts all come down to being prepared. Through all of the knowledge we can obtain through research and evaluation we have the capability of great things. In being warned and prepared for disaster we will be better able to prevent deaths and destruction in the world if we take the proactive and necessary actions. (3)
As for prevention measures that can take place in disaster targeted places, there are actually a few. Countries should make sure that they have a warning system—a way to warn the whole city, especially people on the beaches. These systems do not have to be fancy or high tech. It can even just be police cars with their sirens on, people on bikes, or people in their cars. They should also have a plan for evacuation in the time of a crisis. If a city does not have an evacuation plan, chaos could break out and abandonment will not be able to occur in the orderly fashion that it could. (4)
In conclusion, earthquakes and tsunamis are very strong and powerful natural hazards that occur all the time in our world. There is not a whole lot we can do to prevent these occurrences. However, what we can do is weaken the impact and make the outcome better.
1) tsunami.htm. (n.d.). Andaman Association, Lonely Islands - The Andamanese. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from
http://www.andaman.org/mapstsunami
2) Geographic News. (2005, January 7). The Deadliest Tsunami in History?.Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News.
Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/new
3) Keller, E. A., & DeVecchio, D. E. (2009). Natural Hazards (Third Edition ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. .
4) Good, R. (2006, August 25). Establishing a Tsunami warning system - YouTube. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved November 15, 2011, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsBNtGlojjM&feature=player_embedded
5) Smullen, S., & Clark, D. (2004, December 29). NOAA and the Indian Ocean Tsunami. NOAA News Online. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from
www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/
6) Rawtsunami. (n.d.). Animation of Earthquake and Tsunami in Sumatra - YouTube . YouTube -
Broadcast Yourself. . Retrieved November 15, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xebwzb3dDE
7) http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RVLJm9IHkZk/TQmFBgbuFTI/AAAAAAAAC5c/r_lGAMWEZZA/s1600/Tsunami%2540Indonesia.jpg