Dear MS Friends
By now I am sure we all, have heard and Read about the killer wave....TSUNAMI...I am sure we have, we cant get away with some like this...What a Tragedy. I had read about Tsunami this just a few months back and had wondered what if this strikes...Trust me guys reading about it itself was so scary.
Times of India has done a great job of updating us about the Tsunami tragedy on a daily basis. It is really sad to read this on your breakfast table. However it has definetely brought us closer to mankind.
26 December 2004 a quake measuring 9.0 struck the coast of Aceh province on the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, India and elsewhere in Asia.
Earlier on Feb 1, 1938 an 8.5 magnitude earthquake in the Banda Sea generated tsunamis causing great damage on Banda and Kai, volcanic islands in eastern Indonesia. Indonesia being the most badly afftected country . The confirmed death toll from the weekend earthquake and tsunami in south Asia has soared sharply to over 117, 000 today , the highest number being in Indonesia which is nearly 80, 000 people . The increase in Indonesia?s death toll was due to new bodies being discovered on the coast of Sumatra, which was closest to the epicenter of Sunday’s quake.
So friends , lets come together and help all those people who have become homeless, or have lost thier beloved. If you get a chance please donate whatever possible as this is one way we can express our love towards our fellow human beings. Lets be Human. You never know, we may need help someday somewhere. Incase you need to know how to donate, do write in to me.
Before I say bye to you all , I would like to share some of my knowledge about Tsunami which I had gathered.
What are they and why do they occur?
Tsunami, a Japanese word meaning ?harbor wave, ? is a wave in the ocean or lake created by a geologic event. Often a tsunami is incorrectly referred to as a tidal wave, which, strictly speaking, describes the periodic movement of water associated with the rise and fall of the tides. The term tsunami was adopted for general use in 1963 by an international scientific conference.
Oceanographers call tsunamis seismic seawaves because they are usually caused by earthquakes, landslides or marineslides under or near the ocean. These push the water upward, sideways or downward to create the tsunami waves. Volcanic eruptions can also cause tsunamis. They are more common in the Pacific Ocean.
A tsunami is not a single wave, but a series of waves that can travel across the ocean at speeds of more than 500 miles an hour. In the deep ocean, hundreds of miles can separate wave crests; many people have lost their lives during tsunamis after returning home thinking the waves had stopped.
As the tsunami enters the shallows of coastlines in its path, its velocity slows but its height increases. A tsunami that is just a few centimeters or meters high from trough to crest can rear up to heights of 30 to 50 meters as it hits the shore, striking with devastating force.
For those on shore there is little warning of a tsunami?s approach. The first indication is often a sharp swell, not unlike an ordinary storm swell.
In 1883, a tsunami following the eruption of Krakatoa volcano between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra killed 36, 000. The tsunami?s passage was traced as far away as Panama.
In July 1998, two undersea quakes measuring 7.0 created three tsunamis that killed at least 2, 100 near the town of Aitape on the north coast of Papua New Guinea.
Well thatas about it, incase you have any other details do let me know and I shall add it.
P.S : Do not forget to pray for the victims.
Regards
Anu