http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/tsunamis/ Tsunami News. Causes of tsunamis, status of tsunami devastated regions, and locations where scientists predict tsunamis might occur in the future. Read about tsunamis and earthquakes. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 20:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/tsunamis/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164140.htm On the one year anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands that killed 52 people, scientists are revising their understanding of the potential for similar giant earthquakes in other parts of the globe. According to a new report in Nature Geoscience, the rupture in the Solomon Islands broke through a geological province previously thought to form a barrier to earthquakes. Implications are worldwide. This discovery means other sites such as the Cascadia Subduction Zone in northwestern North America have potential for more severe earthquakes than once thought. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318224409.htm Azhii peralai: from the deep ... large waves. This is the expression for 'tsunami' in Tamil, the oldest language in southern India. For an ancient dialect to have its own phrase for destructive waves triggered by earthquakes, the people of Tamil Nadu likely experienced tsunamis periodically through the centuries, say scientists. In other words, the catastrophic Indian Ocean event in December 2004 that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries -- including 15,000 in India -- was hardly a one freak occurrence, he says, and people could have been much better prepared for it. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318224409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311090733.htm NOAA has just deployed the final two tsunami detection buoys in the South Pacific, completing the buoy network and bolstering the U.S. tsunami warning system. This vast network of 39 stations provides coastal communities in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico with faster and more accurate tsunami warnings. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311090733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205125248.htm Scientists aboard IODP scientific drilling vessel Chikyu collected 5,000 samples from the seismogenic zone known as the Nankai Trough. The samples will provide scientists with new sources of data and the potential for increased understanding of how earthquakes are generated. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205125248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130636.htm Earthquakes occurring at the edges of tectonic plates can trigger events at a distance and much later in time. These doublet earthquakes may hold an underestimated hazard, but may also shed light on earthquake dynamics. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113331.htm Researchers evaluated all known potential tsunami-generating sources in the Indian Ocean basin, and then calculated the impact of the waves they can generate. The geographical distribution of risk is evaluated on a basin-wide scale. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182522.htm A wave of new NASA research on tsunamis has yielded an innovative method to improve existing tsunami warning systems, and a potentially groundbreaking new theory on the source of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117103739.htm Earth scientists have reported the discovery of a strong variation in the tectonic stresses in a region of the Pacific Ocean notorious for generating devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in southeastern Japan. The team used a high-tech drill ship to probe deep into a zone responsible for undersea earthquakes known to cause tsunamis. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117103739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103124649.htm Using a novel device that simulates earthquakes in a laboratory setting, scientists have shown that seismic waves -- the sounds radiated from earthquakes -- can induce earthquake aftershocks, often long after a quake has subsided. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103124649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110327.htm The German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean runs on track. Main milestones like the development of the automatic data processing software SeisComP3, as well as the underwater communication for the transmission of the pressure data from the ocean floor to a warning centre are already finalized. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201948.htm Researchers fresh from an eight-week scientific drilling expedition off the Pacific coast of Japan have reported their discovery of strong variation in the tectonic stresses in a region notorious for generating devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, the Nankai Trough. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071212201948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115164101.htm Research by geoscientists may explain why part of the seafloor near the southwest coast of Japan generates devastating tsunamis, such as the 1944 Tonankai event, which killed at least 1,200 people. The findings will help assess the risk of giant tsunamis in other regions of the world. Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071115164101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071122151214.htm New research has found evidence of tremors along non-subduction zone faults in seven California locations immediately following the magnitude 7.8 Denali earthquake in Alaska on Nov. 3, 2002. The scientists commented that their findings were the opposite of what they had expected. Fri, 23 Nov 2007 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071122151214.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119113908.htm In order to extend alert times and avoid false alarms, a new seafloor pressure recording system has been designed to detect tsunamis shortly after their development in the open ocean. Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071119113908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030100655.htm Agricultural expansion rather than shrimp farming is the major factor responsible for the destruction of tropical mangrove forests in the tsunami-impacted regions of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. A new study considers quantifying the role of mangrove forests in saving lives and property from natural disasters such as the Asian tsunami. Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071030100655.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014173915.htm With the goal of saving lives and preventing environmental and structural damage during real tsunamis, Princeton Engineering researchers have been creating experimental mini-tsunamis. Existing models for predicting the impact of tsunamis focus on the incoming rush of water while largely ignoring the effect of the powerful forces that a tsunami wave can exert on the earth beneath when it draws back into the ocean. Wed, 17 Oct 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071014173915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071003213559.htm The long-running civil war in Sri Lanka is causing more mental health problems and social breakdown than the catastrophic 2004 tsunami, according to new research. The terrorisation of many Tamil communities and the destruction caused by the tsunami meant many villages were abandoned and the villagers separated. Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071003213559.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814160541.htm The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake generated a catastrophic tsunami that caused heavy damage and fatalities in coastal areas around the Indian Ocean. The tsunami, which struck on 26 December 2004, also propagated throughout the world's oceans, making it the first such event to be scrutinized with continuous observations of widespread oceanic monitoring networks. Thu, 16 Aug 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814160541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814154400.htm The massive 9.2-magnitude Sumatra-Andaman earthquake on 26 December 2004 generated a tsunami that propagated throughout the Indian Ocean, killing more than 250,000 people. By contrast, the nearby 8.7-magnitude Simeulue-Nias earthquake on 28 March 2005 generated a small tsunami that caused only a few casualties. Though these earthquakes occurred in similar tectonic settings, their tsunami were markedly different, highlighting the need for reliably determining tsunami hazards from earthquake geometry. Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070814154400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070812085621.htm The M 7.6 West Java earthquake on August 8 was detected, located and sized after only 4 minutes and 38 seconds by the German Tsunami Early Warning System currently under construction in Indonesia. The location of the earthquake had been established after just 2 minutes and 11 seconds. For comparison: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii published the location and magnitude of this earthquake after about 17 minutes. Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070812085621.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802130847.htm A reversal of tectonic plate motion between Acapulco and Mexico City in the last half of 2006 probably didn't ease seismic strain in the region or the specter of a major earthquake anticipated there in the coming decades, says a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. Mon, 06 Aug 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070802130847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801161530.htm Tremors rippled the landscape of Vancouver Island, the westernmost part of British Columbia, during a major Alaskan earthquake in 2002, and geoscientists have found clear evidence that the two events were related. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070801161530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702084030.htm A team of experts is preparing to create tsunami in a controlled environment in order to study their effects on buildings and coastlines -- ultimately paving the way for the design of new structures better able to withstand their impact. Ahead of today's Coastal Structures 2007 International Conference, Dr. Tiziana Rossetto, UCL Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, unveiled plans to develop an innovative new tsunami generator capable of creating scaled-down versions of the devastating waves. Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070702084030.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618133738.htm Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia. Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618133738.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510163222.htm This week, researchers will begin direct monitoring of the rumblings of a submarine volcano in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. Recently, scientists installed a new underwater earthquake monitoring system on top of Kick'em Jenny, a volcano just off of the north coast of the island nation of Grenada. Fri, 11 May 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070510163222.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430134306.htm Researchers plan to analyze the history of great earthquakes and tsunamis on the Sunda subduction zone, along the western margin of Sumatra and Java -- site of one of the most devastating tsunamis in modern history. Tue, 01 May 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430134306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430102012.htm On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Britain's largest natural disaster, the author of Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard reveals strong new evidence that the Bristol Channel was devastated by a tsunami on January 30, 1607. On that day, historical accounts describe a storm in the Bristol Channel, flooding more then 500 square kilometers of lowland and killing 2,000 people. Mon, 30 Apr 2007 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070430102012.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413215713.htm Researchers are applying their knowledge of agricultural shelterbelts to help protect coastal areas from tsunamis. Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070413215713.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070411110017.htm Two of the world's worst natural disasters in recent years stemmed from different causes on opposite sides of the globe, but actually had much in common, according to researchers studying both the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 and the Hurricane Katrina of 2005. Thu, 12 Apr 2007 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070411110017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402214943.htm University of Nevada faculty members combine seismology expertise with development of GPS software in the "race against time" in detecting tsunamis. Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070402214943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070322160916.htm The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami are now infamous for the damage they caused, but at the time many scientists believed this area was unlikely to create a quake of such magnitude. Scientists now urge the public and policy makers to consider all subduction-type tectonic boundaries to be "locked, loaded and dangerous." Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070322160916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312091502.htm Seismologists at Washington University in St. Louis and their colleagues in Australia, Japan and Tonga have determined why a large earthquake in Tonga did not cause a large tsunami. A tsunami warning was issued around the Pacific Rim following the magnitude 8.0 earthquake on May 3, 2006, but the resulting tsunami was very minor and caused no damage. It all has to do with Tonga's tearing seafloor. Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070312091502.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070203103432.htm Sediment folding may have added to the exceptionally large tsunami that struck Sumatra on December 26, 2004, according to an international team of geologists. Sun, 04 Feb 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070203103432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070109142217.htm The 2004 earthquake is the focus of the January special issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA), in which scientists present research and analyses about the current state of earthquakes and tsunamis, as learned from the Sumatra-Andaman event. Wed, 10 Jan 2007 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070109142217.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061207160102.htm Analyses of a classic, slow-rupturing tsunami earthquake whose massive waves devastated the coast of Java, Indonesia, this past summer are providing insight to seismologists and engineers, who want to better understand these rare events, recommend strategies to improve safety and perhaps provide long-range forecasts of potential danger zones worldwide. Wed, 27 Dec 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061207160102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061218122605.htm Healthy coral reefs provide their adjacent coasts with substantially more protection from destructive tsunami waves than do unhealthy or dead reefs, a Princeton University study suggests. Initially spurred by the tsunami that devastated the coastlines of the Indian Ocean two years ago, the finding provides the first quantitative confirmation of a widely held theory regarding the value of living coral reefs as a defense against tsunami. Tue, 19 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061218122605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061206095440.htm Research into ancient earthquakes by scientists at USC and Caltech shows that within the next few decades another tsunami from another giant earthquake is likely to flood densely populated sections of western coastal Sumatra, south of those that devastated by the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004. Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061206095440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061204093342.htm Could a few seconds warning of an impending strong earthquake be of practical use in mitigating its effects? Scientists, engineers, and first responders say yes, and now such warnings may be possible. Researchers in Italy have analyzed seismic signals from over 200 moderate to strong earthquakes, ranging from magnitude 4.0 to 7.4, and they conclude that the waves generated in the first few seconds of an earthquake (the primary, or P, waves) carry sufficient information to determine its magnitude and destructive potential. Tue, 05 Dec 2006 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061204093342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128083754.htm Geological evidence indicates that the eastern flanks of Mt. Etna volcano, located on Italy's island of Sicily, suffered at least one large collapse nearly 8,000 years ago. Tue, 28 Nov 2006 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061128083754.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106170115.htm Because earthquake shock sometimes decreases the frequency at which the ground vibrates, especially at soft soil sites, the strength of strong ground motion during an earthquake is an important characteristic that can affect the degree to which geological structures and buildings collapse. Although most research focuses on the reduction in peak frequency of site response caused by strong ground motion, Sawazaki, et al. sought instead to document peak frequency recovery following large earthquakes. Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106170115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106111400.htm Following a series of well documented natural disasters with grave human and economic consequences, the ability to predict these devastating events has once more come to the fore as a research priority for the European scientific community. This, amongst other things, is what leading scientists in ocean margin research came together to discuss at the recent EUROMARGINS conference in Bologna, Italy. Tue, 07 Nov 2006 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061106111400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060927094539.htm A tsunami's impact on a coral reef is slight compared to the devastation wreaked by human use of explosives and poison, latest research from the coast of Aceh in Indonesia has disclosed. Fri, 29 Sep 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060927094539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826180645.htm Adult and children in the tsunami-affected areas in Thailand have elevated rates of mental health problems such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression up to 9 months after the disaster, according to two studies in the August 2 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights. Sun, 27 Aug 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060826180645.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060804135910.htm For the first time, scientists have been able to use satellite data to detect the changes in the earth's surface caused by a massive earthquake. The discovery, reported in the latest issue of the journal, Science, signifies a new use for the data from NASA's two GRACE satellites and offers a possible new approach to understanding how earthquakes work. Sun, 06 Aug 2006 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060804135910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060710085816.htm The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System is up and running as scheduled, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has announced. Eighteen months after the tragic tsunami of December 2004, the entire Indian Ocean region has a warning system capable of receiving and distributing tsunami advisories around the clock. Mon, 10 Jul 2006 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060710085816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060628233834.htm University scientists using Global Positioning System (GPS) software developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., have shown that GPS can determine, within minutes, whether an earthquake is big enough to generate an ocean-wide tsunami. This NASA-funded technology can be used to provide faster tsunami warnings. Wed, 28 Jun 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/06/060628233834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060508171231.htm Sri Lanka's coastal drinking water supply continues to suffer the effects of the December 2004 tsunami. Some 40,000 shallow wells were destroyed or contaminated by the tsunami. The continued sustainability of the aquifers that supply such wells is in doubt, due to continued saltwater contamination, erosion of beaches, and other human impacts. During investigations in Sri Lanka, an international team of researchers found that the tsunami had affected coastal drinking water sources in several ways. Mon, 08 May 2006 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/05/060508171231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060412204427.htm Tremors within the Earth are usually -- but not always -- related to the activity of a volcano. Now, such vibrations have been recorded nowhere near a volcano, but at a geologic observatory at the San Andreas Fault. Scientists believe the fault tremors may be related to activity at a subduction zone -- a place where one of Earth's constantly moving tectonic plates slips beneath another. Thu, 13 Apr 2006 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060412204427.htm