Tsunami

[sect112row36]

This is scary stuff...

Mega-tsunami: Wave of Destruction
BBC Two 9.30pm 12 October 2000
Revisited: BBC Four 7pm 24 May 2003


Scattered across the world’s oceans are a handful of rare geological time-bombs. Once unleashed they create an extraordinary phenomenon, a gigantic tidal wave, far bigger than any normal tsunami, able to cross oceans and ravage countries on the other side of the world. Only recently have scientists realised the next episode is likely to begin at the Canary Islands, off North Africa, where a wall of water will one day be created which will race across the entire Atlantic ocean at the speed of a jet airliner to devastate the east coast of the United States. America will have been struck by a mega-tsunami.

Back in 1953 two geologists travelled to a remote bay in Alaska looking for oil. They gradually realised that in the past the bay had been struck by huge waves, and wondered what could have possibly caused them. Five years later, they got their answer. In 1958 there was a landslide, in which a towering cliff collapsed into the bay, creating a wave half a kilometre high, higher than any skyscraper on Earth. The true destructive potential of landslide-generated tsunami, which scientists named "Mega-tsunami", suddenly began to be appreciated. If a modest-sized landslide in Alaska could create a wave of this size, what havoc could a really huge landslide cause?

Scientists now realise that the greatest danger comes from large volcanic islands, which are particularly prone to these massive landslides. Geologists began to look for evidence of past landslides on the sea bed, and what they saw astonished them. The sea floor around Hawaii, for instance, was covered with the remains of millions of years’ worth of ancient landslides, colossal in size.

But huge landslides and the mega-tsunami that they cause are extremely rare - the last one happened 4,000 years ago on the island of Réunion. The growing concern is that the ideal conditions for just such a landslide - and consequent mega-tsunami - now exist on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. In 1949 the southern volcano on the island erupted. During the eruption an enormous crack appeared across one side of the volcano, as the western half slipped a few metres towards the Atlantic before stopping in its tracks. Although the volcano presents no danger while it is quiescent, scientists believe the western flank will give way completely during some future eruption on the summit of the volcano. In other words, any time in the next few thousand years a huge section of southern La Palma, weighing 500 thousand million tonnes, will fall into the Atlantic ocean.

What will happen when the volcano on La Palma collapses? Scientists predict that it will generate a wave that will be almost inconceivably destructive, far bigger than anything ever witnessed in modern times. It will surge across the entire Atlantic in a matter of hours, engulfing the whole US east coast, sweeping away everything in its path up to 20km inland. Boston would be hit first, followed by New York, then all the way down the coast to Miami and the Caribbean.

Mega-tsunami: La ola de la destrucción (In Spanish)

Further information

Mega-tsunami: Questions and Answers

[Come Back to NY]

There are thousands or early warning systems from the Cali coast that stretch westward through the Pacific to give early warning detection if this should happen. In fact, the US government tried to give warning about the magnitude of the earthquke to Asian officials immediately after it happened.

[jetman67]

Glad I live on a mountain.

As they say, we only rent here.

[Bugg]

WAVE PARTY!

[JetFanTransplant]

I am about 30 Miles as the crow flies from the beach. All flat between here and there. I wonder if I could have ocean front property at some point.

[Buffboy]

[quote][i]Originally posted by JetFanTransplant[/i]@Dec 28 2004, 03:06 PM
[b] I am about 30 Miles as the crow flies from the beach. All flat between here and there. I wonder if I could have ocean front property at some point. [/b][/quote]
My friend, you may someday have ocean[i]-bottom [/i]property.

[sect112row36]

According to other websites, this wave from the Canary Islands would take approx 8 hrs to get here.

[JetFanTransplant]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Buffboy+Dec 29 2004, 08:37 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>[b]QUOTE[/b] (Buffboy @ Dec 29 2004, 08:37 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-JetFanTransplant[/i]@Dec 28 2004, 03:06 PM
[b] I am about 30 Miles as the crow flies from the beach. All flat between here and there. I wonder if I could have ocean front property at some point. [/b][/quote]
My friend, you may someday have ocean[i]-bottom [/i]property.[/b][/quote]
That's it. I am getting my SCUBA cert this summer. :[img]http://www.jetsinsider.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' />

[Warfish]

I live less than 30 minutes from some of the taller peaks of the (admittedly not very tall) Appalachian Mountains.

For once, living in Virginia actually has a benifit!

[shakin318]

I'm less than a mile from the ocean. Sounds like all of Long Island would be toast in that scenario. And 95% of us ain't getting off even with 8 hours notice -- panicky idiot drivers would crash and clog every bridge out of here.

If it's ever on the way, I'll probably just take a baseball bat to the heads of any neighbors or other locals I may have come to despise over the years, then spend the last 6 hours of my life playing with my kids and acting like there's not a worry in the world.

[Come Back to NY]

[quote][i]Originally posted by shakin318[/i]@Dec 30 2004, 10:06 PM
[b] I'm less than a mile from the ocean. Sounds like all of Long Island would be toast in that scenario. And 95% of us ain't getting off even with 8 hours notice -- panicky idiot drivers would crash and clog every bridge out of here.

If it's ever on the way, I'll probably just take a baseball bat to the heads of any neighbors or other locals I may have come to despise over the years, then spend the last 6 hours of my life playing with my kids and acting like there's not a worry in the world. [/b][/quote]
try and talk a few girls into a threesome with you...that would be a hell of a way to go out!! :D

[Green Jets & Ham]

Serious Question

Would you be safe from a tsunami if you were up high in a skyscrapper?

I mean, would the tsunami bring down a skyscrapper or would the skyscrapper remain upright?

Just curious

[The Gun Of Bavaria]

isn't it true that there is an extensive Pacific Ocean warning system but NO Atlantic Ocean warning system?

I believe that's the case.
Scary stuff man. Really scary.

[ASH_1962]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Green Jets & Ham[/i]@Dec 30 2004, 11:58 PM
[b] Serious Question

Would you be safe from a tsunami if you were up high in a skyscrapper?

I mean, would the tsunami bring down a skyscrapper or would the skyscrapper remain upright?

Just curious [/b][/quote]
Ham, it would depend on the type of wave generated, and of course, it's height due to the type of wave. A Landslide wave as in the case of La Palma would be approximately 1/3 of a mile high. I do not think anything could withstand that much force, however, there are continental shelves in the Atlantic that scientists say could lessen the strength of the wave by disseminating energy much the same as a coral reef would.

[Mavrik]

[quote][i]Originally posted by The Gun Of Bavaria[/i]@Dec 31 2004, 01:50 AM
[b] isn't it true that there is an extensive Pacific Ocean warning system but NO Atlantic Ocean warning system? [/b][/quote]
There are a bunch of people from the U.S. Geological Survey trying to gest Spain (who controls the Canary Islands) to create some kind of monitoring station there.






Maybe it would be a good idea to learn how to surf. ;)

[quote][i]Originally posted by Green Jets & Ham[/i]@Dec 30 2004, 11:58 PM
[b] Serious Question

Would you be safe from a tsunami if you were up high in a skyscrapper?

I mean, would the tsunami bring down a skyscrapper or would the skyscrapper remain upright?

Just curious [/b][/quote]
Not to worry, Ham. Donald Rumsfeld has already issued a statement saying that he has "personally seen to it that the military troops assigned to tsunami intervention have received the latest in high-tech aquatic field armor, pictured below:



[img]http://www.toyscamp.com/catalog/AL761B.gif[/img]

[asuusa]

With all this tsunami hysteria, maybe now I'll find a good deal on some west coastline property.

[JetMan55]

no way!!!!!!!!!!!