Tsunam

i
Quiz

What can cause a tsunami?

a.Landslide
b.Underwaterearthquake
c.Volcanic eruption
d.All of the above

Correct:
d) All of the above
Tsunamis are usually generated by
undersea earthquakes at tectonic
plate boundaries, but they can also be
triggered by underwater landslides,
volcanic eruptions, or even a giant
meteor impact with the ocean.

2. Do all undersea earthquakes

trigger a tsunami?
a.Yes

b.No

Correct:
2. b
An undersea earthquake creates a
tsunami only if it is of sufficient
force and there is a violent
enough movement of the seafloor
to displace a massive amount of
water.

3. What does the word "tsunami"

mean in Japanese?
a.Tidal wave
b.Harbor wave
c.Killer wave
d.Century wave

Correct:
3. B
Our English word "tsunami" comes
from the Japanese term for
"harbor wave." Tsunamis are not
the same things as tidal waves
and actually consist of a series of
waves.

4. Witnesses have said that an

approaching tsunami sounds like what?
a.Firecrackers exploding
b.A freight train
c.Ice cracking
d.Nothingthere is absolute
silence

Correct:
4. b
Many witnesses have
described the sound of an
approaching tsunami as being
similar to a freight train's.

5. What is the
most active
tsunami area?
a.Pacific Ocean
b.Caribbean
Sea
c.Indian Ocean
d.North Atlantic
Ocean

Correct:
5. A
Most tsunamis, about 80 percent,
happen within the Pacific Oceans
Ring of Fire, a geologically active
area where tectonic shifts make
volcanoes and earthquakes
common.

6. What is the deadliest tsunami

ever recorded?
a.The 1782 South China Sea
tsunami
b.The 1868 northern Chile
tsunami
c.The 1883 South Java Sea
tsunami
d.The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

Correct:
6. D
In 2004 more than 200,000 people
the most ever recordeddied in an
Indian Ocean tsunami that was
triggered by an earthquake off
Sumatra, Indonesia.

7. How fast can a tsunami travel?

a.Up to 100 miles an hour (160
km an hour)
b.Up to 200 miles an hour (320
km an hour)
c.Up to 500 miles an hour (800
km an hour)
d.Up to 1,000 miles an hour

Correct:
7. C
Tsunamis race across the sea at
up to 500 miles (805 kilometres)
an hourabout as fast as a jet
airplane. At that pace they can
cross the entire expanse of the
Pacific Ocean in less than a day.

8. Can you detect a tsunami

in the open ocean?
a.Yes
b.No

Correct:
8. B
No. In the open
ocean, the wave
length of a tsunami is
hundreds of miles
long and only a few
feet high. Boaters
are safer out at sea
during a tsunami
than close to shore
or tied up at port.

9. Where was the largest tsunami

in history recorded?
a.India
b.Philippines
c.Chile
d.Japan

Correct:
9. D
In 1971 a wall of water 278 feet (84.7
meters) high surged past Ishigaki
Island, Japan. It moved a 750-block of
coral 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) closer
to shore but did little other damage.

10. What is frequently a warning

sign of an impending tsunami?
a.Winds suddenly change
direction
b.The sky suddenly clears
c.Seawater suddenly retreats
from the shore
d.All of the above

Correct:
10. C
If the tsunami's trough reaches
shore first, it sucks the water
seaward, exposing the seafloor
suddenly. The wave's crest usually
hits shore about five minutes later.
Recognising this phenomenon
and getting to higher ground
immediatelycan save lives.