Tsunami Giant sea waves due to large-scale

displacement of the sea floor.

• Large magnitude off-shore
earthquakes
• Coastal and underwater
volcanic eruptions
 TSUNAMI
Large sea waves resulting
from the disturbance of
seawater by:

3) commonly by vertical
displacement of the
ocean floor associated
with a strong and
shallow earthquake

2) Submarine volcanic
explosions NOT CAUSED BY TIDES.
3) Landslides
TERM TIDAL WAVE IS
WRONG!
4) Meteor impact
The 26 December 2004 Great Sumatran Earthquake
& Indian Ocean Tsunami

India

Thailand
Magnitude 9.0, Depth
Sri Lanka Malaysia
<30km (USGS)
Sumatra
Time: 7:58AM, local
time
Tsunami Wave Propagation
(From Kenji Satake, Japan) Casualties: ~ 300,000
 Impacts of Indian Ocean Tsunami

Before

Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

© DigitalGlobe

After

Impacts: erosion, flooding, destruction of houses, death

BE AWARE OF TSUNAMI FACTS.
• Tsunamis can move faster than a person can run.
• Tsunamis can travel up rivers that lead to the sea.
• The force of some tsunamis is enormous. Large rocks,
boats and other debris can be moved inland and can kill
and injure people.
• A tsunami consists of a series of waves. The first wave may
not be the largest. The danger from a tsunami can last for
several hours after the first wave.
Tsunami
Vulnerability
Map
(to be further refined with
new modeling results and
detailed field investigation)
 August 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake &
Tsunami
(M7.9, < 33 km, 3700 dead)

• First waves reported within 5

minutes of the main shock
• Series of waves (~3- 7 waves
reported), 1-5 minutes apart
• Tsunami velocity~80 kph near shore
Tsunami Impacts: 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake

Inundated villages Damaged houses & buildings

Transported bancas Crushed vehicles

 Earthquake occurs offshore, from any of the
earthquake generators around the country.
 it can reach the shoreline in 5 to 30 minutes.

 Earthquake occurs somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

 it may take 2 to 18 hours to travel before they reach
the eastern coast of the Philippines.
 Warning for tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean

North West Pacific Tsunami

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center,
Information Hawaii
Center, Japan
 Natural Observations for Local
Tsunami Warning
Strong ground shaking

Rapid (Unusual) sea level fall (sea retreat) or rise

“Unusual”, strong sound

Go inland, go to predetermined elevated

ground, or go to upper floor of strong tall
buildings
 Unusual sea conditions
(a) SUDDEN AND
EXTREME lowering
of sea level

(b) Noticeable rise and

fall of coastal water

Natural Tsunami Warning Signs

 Unusual sea conditions

During the retreat of sea

level, interesting sights are
often revealed. Fishes
may be stranded on dry
land, thereby attracting
people to collect them.
Sandbars and coral flats
may be exposed, which
may tempt people to flock
to the shoreline.

Natural Tsunami Warning Signs

 Tsunami Disaster
Reduction

Knowing Hazard Knowing Vulnerability Knowing Measures

• Understanding • Loss estimation of •Tsunami warning
tsunami human lives and • Education/Information
• Max. tsunami property School curricula
height • Land use Posters
• Min. arrival management Markers
time • History of tsunami Museums
• Duration disaster • Tsunami hazard map
• Inundation area • Evacuation routes
• Earthquake and Tsunami
Drill
• Emergency management
• Training, evaluation,
decision making
• Mitigation
 Information campaign:
Tsunami posters and comics in local dialects
Community Based Early Warning System

Batingtings

Megaphones
Two-way radios
 Public Education HAZARD SIGNAGES

Tsunami

angay-level IEC campaigns, early warning dry runs

Familiarization with Hazards Maps