Tsunami

Tsunamis! = WHAT ARE TSUANMIS? Tsunami's are a series of waves mainly caused by shifting in the earths tectonic plates. =

= = =When the earths tectonic plates ( imagine the earth as one spherical rock, and its broken up into jagged pieces) bang into each other, or grind against each other, they send a surge of energy that reaches the crust of the earth, and causes an earthquake. If the two tectonic plates happen to be under a large body of water, such as a large lake or an ocean, the energy causes a wave. The wave builds up and can reach up to heights as tall as 10 story buildings.=

This is a picture of the 2011 Japan Tsunami. There was an earthquake that took out a lot of Japan, and then one of it's aftershocks ( smaller earthquakes that are formed from tiny bursts of energy the tectonic plates are still releasing) occured under the ocean and caused a tsunami. The size of the aftershocks depend on the size of the first eartquake, andsince the first earthquake was on of the largest and longest earth has seen since 1900, the aftershcoks were pretty huge as well

HOW ARE TSUNAMI SIZES MEASURED? Tsunamis are measured using intensity scales. People all over the world have their own scales, but the globally used scale is the //Soloviev-Imamura tsunami intensity scale//.

=TSUNAMI CAUSES= Tsunamis aren't only caused by earthquakes. Strong disturbances both above and below the water are able to cause Tsuanmi's. Meteorites can hit water and cause large waves. Volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis too. When volcaoes are about to blow, you can see them shaking like crazy. When they erupt, the force sends energy down the volcanoe and into the ground, where it can cause earthquakes. If the energy is sent in way where it reaches a body of water, a tsunami starts.

IMAN :)

====**How do tsunamis happen? They happen when the plates underneath are shifting. It happens when the plates are ripped apart, dragged together, and rubbed alongside each other. Energy is released from the epicenter, and a gigantic wave is formed.**====

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yexLVVeWHb8&feature=fvst http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=722Mas5cKhI

added by jaclyn