Tsunami expert says to expect the unexpected
Devastation caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
JB: This is Earth & Sky. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said it’s expanded the U.S. tsunami warning system.
DB: Improvements include adding enough employees to staff existing warning centers 24/7 and expanding the network of buoys that provide real-time tsunami detection. Earthsky called Paul Whitmore, director of the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. He said high risk areas for tsunamis include Alaska, Hawaii, and the west coast of the U.S.
JB: Whitmore said if you live in a known tsunami hazard zone, and you feel an earthquake, don’t wait for an official warning to move inland or to higher ground. We also asked Whitmore what he?s learned in his work as an expert on devastating tsunamis that?s caused him to change the way he lives his life.
Whitmore: We just see it over and over again that the unexpected happens. And that we really need to be prepared for just about any scenario. Warning centers don’t have the luxury of saying, “Well, okay, in such and such a coast of the United States we’re just not going to see a tsunami.” That may be the best available science that tells us that, but often the best available science is wrong.
DB: Our thanks today to NOAA. For more, come to earthsky.org. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth & Sky.
Find more information about tsunamis at the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
Read about improvements to the U.S. tsunami warning system.
Our thanks to:
Paul Whitmore
Director
West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center
NOAA
Additional Teacher Resources
NOAA: How Does the Tsunami Warning System Work?
Here is how the basic tsunami warning system works in the Pacific Northwest area. First, a key concept – there are two sources of tsunami for Washington coastal waters – a distant source and a local source.
NOAA: Tsunami Website
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by sudden displacements in the sea floor, landslides, or volcanic activity. In the deep ocean, the tsunami wave may only be a few inches high. The tsunami wave may come gently ashore or may increase in height to become a fast moving wall of turbulent water several meters high.
