Tsunami Attack! Giant Wave Characteristics and Causes
Students take on tsunamis!Copyright Monroe County, FL http://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/Pages/MonroeCoFL_Growth/floodplain
Students learn about tsunamis, discovering what causes them and what makes them so dangerous. They learn that engineers design detection and warning equipment, as well as structures that that can survive the strong wave forces. In a hands-on activity, students use a table-top-sized tsunami generator to observe the formation and devastation of a tsunami. They see how a tsunami moves across the ocean and what happens when it reaches a coastline. They make villages of model houses to test how different material types are impacted by the huge waves.
Engineers use their creativity to save lives and decrease the destruction caused by tsunamis. While tsunamis cannot be prevented, engineers can design monitoring equipment to help scientists gather data to detect them early so people can be warned and evacuated to safety. Cameras continually watch volcanoes, seismometers measure tremors, GPS receivers measure mountain swelling, pressure sensors monitor air waves caused by explosions, and radar and satellites communicate the height, size and location of ash plumes. Some engineers design structures that can survive tsunamis. Other engineers design warning systems such as harbor disaster sirens, automated news media bulletins and emergency communication centers.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe a tsunami as a large wave that is caused by the movement of the sea floor.
- List some causes of tsunamis, including earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides.
- Relate that engineers use special sensors to detect tsunamis.
- Explain how engineers are working to create buildings that can survive tsunamis.