Tsuna mis Sean Stopczynski Mrs. Fisher 5 th grade

What is it? It’s a huge ocean wave. When a tsunami gets close to land, it forms a fast – moving powerful wall of water. It can be as high as 100 feet. Tsunamis travel up to 600 miles per hour in deep waters.

How does it form? Tsunamis are usually caused by undersea earthquakes or volcanoes. Some are caused by a huge amount of soil or rock falling down a steep slope.

How does it relate to the 5 themes?

Where do they happen (Place/Region)? Most tsunamis happen in a zone around the Pacific Ocean called the Ring of Fire. About 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes happen in the Ring of Fire.

Where was the worst one recorded? (Location) The Indian Ocean Tsunami was the deadliest tsunami in history. On December 26, 2004 a powerful earthquake shook the ocean floor off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Waves up to 50 feet high raced across the Indian Ocean and the tsunami killed more than 225,000 people in eleven countries.

How does it affect transportation (movement)? Reports show that those who use their cars to escape tsunamis often to get stuck in traffic jams or encounter other obstacles and are more likely to be swept away.

What affect does it have on people and how they interact with the environment (Human/Environment Interaction)? Tsunamis cause so much damage to shorelines that waves can carry some homes and up root trees nearly three miles. Today we have special sensors on buoys that detect movements of the seafloor. That information gets sent to satellites and then to warning centers to tell if a tsunami is about to strike.

Interesting fact 1 The word tsunami comes from the Japanese words tsu meaning “harbor” and hami, meaning “wave”.

Interesting fact 2 Scientists say that animals’ senses can alert them to danger. Elephants, for example, have sensitive feet. Their feet can detect vibration from earthquakes.

Interesting fact 3 Hawaii is hit by more tsunamis than any other place on earth because it’s in the middle of the Ring of Fire.

Works Cited Keedle, Jayne. Tsunamis and Floods. Pleasantville: Gareth Stevens Publishing, Print.