See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/263929836

Facts about Tsunami: Its origin, earthquake link and prediction: An Opinion

Article · July 2014

CITATIONS READS
2 4,735

1 author:

Ashit Baran Roy

84 PUBLICATIONS   1,754 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Geology of Indian Shield, a book writing project View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Ashit Baran Roy on 16 July 2014.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

J. Ind.
A.B. RoyGeophys. Union ( July 2014 )
v.18, no.3, pp:330-335

Facts about Tsunami: Its origin, earthquake link and prediction:

An Opinion
A.B. Roy
INSA Honorary Scientist
Department of Geology, Presidency University, Kolkata 700073
Email: ashitbaranroy@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Tsunami occurs when there is a sudden and massive vertical displacement of ocean water because of
tectonically induced deformation in the Ocean Crust. In spite of close association, there is no direct cause-
and-effect relationship between earthquake and Tsunami. The earthquake waves which possess elastic
properties cannot pass through a liquid medium, and hence are ineffective in generating a Tsunami. Tsunami
may be generated because of several other non-tectonic reasons. But these are not as devastating as the
tectonic types. Prevention of Tsunami is not possible, but warning signals should be seriously considered
for mitigating the destruction caused by Tsunami.

INTRODUCTION amplitudes (several metres) compared to the extremely

large wavelengths (often hundreds of kilometre long). It is
Tsunami is a Japanese word, meaning ‘harbour waves’. because of that the wave passes unnoticed forming only a
The term was introduced by the fishermen who on return fleeting bulge over the mid-sea/ocean.
to the port( after fishing ) found the area surrounding The Tsunami waves which appear quite innocuous in
the harbour devastated by sea waves (Figure 1), a scenario open sea move with high velocity. Using the mathematical
which they had not encountered during voyage through formula illusrated in Figure 2, we find that for ocean depth
the open sea/ocean. of 5 km, the wave velocity would be about 220 m/sec, i.e.
The apparent paradox is because of the fact that the approximately 800 km/hr, which is comparable to the speed
offshore Tsunami waves in the open sea have very small of a jet-propelled aircraft.

Figure 1. Devastation of the southeastern coastal areas of the Bay of Bengal during 26 December, 2004 Tsunami (Photo: AFP.
From wave page of www.smh.com.au).

Editor’s note:
As pointed out in the Editorial, this article reflects the opinion of the author. However, we must point out that though shear
waves cannot travel through liquids, compressional (P) waves do. In fact, P waves, which are also generated during an earthquake
process, arrive first at any location. A Tsunami is a water wave caused by a huge displacement of water in the ocean. Common
examples of causes are earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity. The energy released into the water by these natural
phenomena travels through the water in the form of a wave with exceedingly long wavelengths.

330
 Facts about Tsunami: Its origin, earthquake link and prediction: An Opinion

Figure 2. Cartoon diagram illustrating the mathematical relationship between depth-velocity relationship of Tsunami wave.

Figure 3. An artist’s impression of buildup of Tsunami as the waves approach the shore line. (Courtesy: Wikipedia).

Figure 4. Tsunami waves after reaching the shelf sea region undergo manifold amplification, and looks like monstrous hydra
heads. (Courtesy: Dr. Viacheslav K. Gusiakov, ICMMG, Siberian Division, Russian Academy of Sciences).

Dynamics of tsunami are essentially governed by the energy and the period of the wave remains the same.
shallow water equations. The wavelength of a Tsunami Due to such a combination of energy and wavelength,
wave (which is the product of velocity and time) is about more water is forced between the wave crests causing
200 km having a period of 15-30 minutes in the open the height of the wave to increase. Because of this, the
sea. In open sea thickness of water column could be as tsunami waves which are imperceptible in deep water
much as 3 to 4 km. As tsunami leaves the deep water undergo manifold increase in wave heights, as they reach
of the open sea and arrives at the shallow waters near the coast (Figure 3).
the coast, it undergoes a transformation, mainly due to A little before hitting the land, this slow moving wave
a significant change in the water column thickness. Near is overridden by successive waves from the rear, and the
the coast due to decrease in the water column thickness, composite wave after attaining a great height (at times over
the velocity of tsunami waves drop. However, the total 70 m), and lashes the coastline like monstrous hydra-heads.

331
A.B. Roy

CAUSES OF TSUNAMI GENERATION The process of Tsunami generation sets off with abrupt
dislodgement of blocks of ocean floor rocks due to faulting
Confusion prevails over the processes of Tsunami generation. with a strong vertical component of displacement. Two
Tsunamis are traditionally described as tidal waves. This is different situations are possible. Faulting can lift a part
because, on approaching the land, the Tsunami waves take of the ocean floor vertically upward which in turn would
on the characteristics of violent onrushing tide rather than push up the column of water above it creating a local bulge
the sort of familiar cresting waves formed by wind action over the normal sea level (Figure 5A). On the other hand,
upon the ocean. The essential prerequisite for triggering a if faulting causes down-sagging of the ocean floor relative
Tsunami is the sudden displacement of sea/ocean water on to the adjacent part, a local depression in the sea water
a massive scale. Tsunami is generated as the disturbed water level is created causing ebbing tide. Such a situation may
level attempts to attain equilibrium. The disturbed ocean develop in Subduction Zones where the heavier Oceanic
water moving under the influence of gravity radiates across Lithosphere slides down below the lighter continental
the sea/ocean similar to ripples in a pond. Because there is Crust (Figure 5B). In such a case, water is withdrawn from
very little energy loss during the propagation of the Tsunami the coastal areas, resulting in a “ draw-down “ situation,
waves over the ocean water, the harbour waves, which finally a feature witnessed during 26 December, 2004, Indian
strike the coastal areas assume awesome ferocity. Ocean Tsunami (Figure 6).

Figure 5 (A) Schematic diagram showing development of local bulge over the sea level because of uplifting of a block of
Ocean Crust. This causes flood tide in coastal region. (B) Where fault causes down-sagging of a block as in Subduction Zone,
a local depression in the sea level is created.

Figure 6. Draw-down situation recorded at Tiruchendur on 26 December, 2004, because of sudden receding of sea water
(Photo credit: Geological Survey of India, Newsletter).

332
 Facts about Tsunami: Its origin, earthquake link and prediction: An Opinion

The Circum-Pacific belt is the most Tsunami-prone famous example of a landslide induced Tsunami
stretch in the world today which is characterised by the occurred at Lituya Bay in Alaska (USA) on 9 July, 1958,
presence of deep Trenches over the Subduction Zones producing a giant water wave that reached 524 metres
associated with an inclined zone of seismicity (Benioff up the local mountains. However, there was virtually
Zones) .Because of the down-sagging movement at regular no effect outside the bay region (Figure 7).
intervals, a space is created virtually coinciding with the Besides these, a Tsunami could generate, if a landslide
zone of Trenches. This in turn creates a sudden depression drops a huge mass of rock debris or an avalanche pours
in the water column above the zone, leading to imbalance. in huge chunks of ice mixed with rubbles of rocks and
The process that follows in attaining the equilibrium leads soils into sea or ocean. The Tsunamis generated by such
to generation of Tsunami waves. The tectonic situation processes generally have a localised influence. The waves
of the 2004-Indian Ocean Tsunami is comparable to those generated usually dissipate quickly, and rarely affect the
that develop along the Circum-Pacific belt .The similarity coastlines distant from the source because of the small
is perceptible with regard to the source and nature of area of the affected sea.
tsunami generation, due to massive down-sagging of the
Indian Ocean Crust along the Java Trench. TSUNAMI-EARTHQUAKE LINK
Sudden displacement of huge mass of water (enough
to cause a Tsunami) could also be due to processes other All the Tsunamis in the Circum-Pacific belt are invariably
than faulting. These include: associated with earthquakes. So intimate is the association
• Volcanic eruptions near sea or underwater. The that these ‘harbour waves’ are conventionally described as
most horrifying example recorded in history was the ‘earthquake generated Tsunami’ or ‘seismic sea waves’ (Roy,
eruption of Krakatao in Indonesia on 26-27 August, 2008). Impressed by the close Tsunami-earthquake link,
1883. some enthusiastic earth scientists have even attributed the
• Large meteorite impacts on ocean water (no known circum-Pacific earthquakes as ‘Tsunamigenic’.
instance is recorded in human history). However, Without refuting the Tsunami-earthquake link, the
presence of some ‘erratic’ deposits along the Gulf coast usage appears misleading because scientifically speaking
of Mexico and the United States was presumed to have both earthquake and Tsunami are manifestations of sudden
resulted during the apparent impact of a meteorite dislodgement of rock masses during faulting, and the
about 65 million years ago near the tip of the Yucatan association does not bear any cause-and effect relationship
Peninsula of Mexico (Roy, 2008). Earthquakes are vibrations in the Crust caused
• Underwater testing of nuclear bombs (Nuclear testing by moving energy waves released during the breaking
by the United States in the Marshall Islands in the (faulting) of ‘strained rocks’. ‘Elastic Rebound Theory’ aptly
1940s and 1950s generated Tsunamis). explained how the energy released during disruption (or
• Massive landslides generated Tsunamis. The most faulting) of strained rocks radiated from the source of origin

Figure 7. A landslide induced Tsunami affecting the Lituya Bay in Alaska (USA) on 9 July, 1958. It produced giant water
waves that reached 524 metres up the local mountains. The non-forested areas of land lining (white) of the shore of the bay
mark the approximate extent of the D.J. Miller, United States Geological Survey).

333
A.B. Roy

as elastic waves along the San Andreas Fault (Reid, 1906). arrives. This was first recorded in the event of Lisbon
It would be wrong to say that the earthquake waves can earthquake-Tsunami on 1 November, 1755, in Europe.
provide energy for generating a Tsunami. A point to The phenomenon was also noted in Sri Lanka during the
remember is that no Tsunami was generated during severe recent Indian Ocean Tsunami. It is said that animals may
earthquakes along the San Andreas Fault, a considerable have the ability to sense subsonic seismic waves from an
part of which runs through the ocean floor. The reason earthquake minutes or hours before a tsunami strikes the
is that the movement along the fault causing earthquake shore. Some other views about the animal behaviour have
was of translational or strike-slip type, and did not displace also been expressed suggesting that certain large animals
water in any significant way. And the fact is that unless especially the elephants are able to sniff out danger. This
there is massive displacement of water, no Tsunami would instinct forces them to flee in the direction opposite to the
generate even though the faulting might cause a high- approaching roars of Tsunami waves.
intensity earthquake. In regions of high risk the ‘Tsunami Warning Systems’
In the ill-famed ‘Troika of Catastrophe’ that marked the are being used to detect approaching Tsunami to warn the
1 November, 1755, Lisbon event, an earthquake-induced general population before the wave reaches land. Since
massive landslide into the Atlantic water generated a mega- 1995, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Tsunami that destroyed many settlements all along the (NOAA) began developing the “Deep-Ocean Assessment
coastlines. But, even in that case, it cannot be said that the and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART)” system. (Tsunami
Tsunami waves were generated directly by the earthquake. Information: www.ess.washington.edu/tsunami). Several
Earthquake can definitely be the cause of a type of stations have been deployed in the Pacific Ocean, which
‘enhanced’ waves called ‘Seiche’ (also a Japanese term, have ‘pressure recorder ’ for detecting the passage of a
pronounced ‘saash’). The ground motion during an Tsunami. The basic assumption is that the pressure of the
earthquake shakes the water back and forward at regular water column is related to the height of the sea-surface.
intervals setting off Seiche waves, which may at times and Any sudden change in the depth of the water column is
places be quite destructive. Such a Phenomenon, similar indicated by a corresponding change in the water pressure.
to Seiche waves ,occurred in the southern Bengal coastal This in turn is an indication that a Tsunami is developing.
corridor on 26 December, 2004. The information is immediately sent to the ‘Pacific
Tsunami Warning Center ’ (PTWC) for dissemination to
Tsunami Prediction and Possible all concerned. The DART system rings out early warnings
Mitigation to all the Pacific coastal countries. We should however
remember that the DART information from the Pacific
We cannot prevent generation of a Tsunami, nor is it would not be effective for the Indian Ocean region, because
possible to make a precise prediction about it. There are, the Tsunamis developing in the Pacific would have no free
however, some warning signs of an impending tsunami. passage to the Indian Ocean. Considering this, there is
Mention has been made about the draw-down effect along now an Indian Tsunami monitoring System working in
beaches as an advance signature of incoming Tsunami the Indian Ocean.
waves (Fig.4). This happens when the displacement of Tsunami is an exotic word for us without having any
water is linked with sudden down-sagging of the ocean equivalent phrase in Indian languages, unlike the earthquake
floor (as it normally happens in case of Subduction related and the volcano (Shetye, 2005). This clearly implies that
faulting). Under such a situation, there will be an unusual the Tsunami is not a regular visitor in the Indian coastal
incidence of ebbing tide in the coastal regions; and the sea regions. Truly speaking, there is no information about any
in such situations will recede from the coast, before the dreadful appearance of Tsunami ‘monster’ in the region in
tsunami wave's arrival. If the continental slope is shallow, the known history barring one that had lashed the northern
this recession can exceed many hundreds of metres. The coastal belts of the Arabian Sea on 19 June, 1945.
time, for the return of water in form of giant ‘harbour The memory of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami is
waves’ might not be sufficient for the people to get prepared so fresh in our mind that it is not possible to disbelieve
to face the impending disaster. Only those who have prior that the ‘waves’ that devastated the region were anything
knowledge of tsunami resultant changes in the ocean other than a dreadful Tsunami. Even if it is assumed that
wave dynamics saved themselves and others by rushing 1737 Calcutta event was a Tsunami of a scale comparable
to elevated zones of the area. Others perished due to lack with the most recent one, there is hardly any reason to be
of sufficient time to run for safety. panicky. Tsunami of 2004 magnitude may not happen in
One of the early warnings of an incoming Tsunami the near future, as this tsunami was triggered by a very
is sounded by the nearby animals, which have the ability high magnitude earthquake that destabilised large chunks
to sense danger and flee to higher ground before the water of the crust.

334
 Facts about Tsunami: Its origin, earthquake link and prediction: An Opinion

Figure 8. Thick growth of mangrove along southern part of Sundarban seem to have helped in protecting the hinterland from
the fury of December 26, 2004 Tsunami.

Japan has implemented an extensive programme of Indian Ocean Tsunami when some coastal areas covered
building Tsunami walls of up to 4.5 metres high in front by trees have escaped virtually unharmed, because much
of populated coastal areas. In some other parts of the of the Tsunami energy was worn out considerably in the
world, floodgates and channels have been constructed tree-covered belts (Figure 8).
to redirect the water from incoming tsunami. Without
questioning the effectiveness of such Tsunami walls, REFERENCES
it may be said that such a measure is economically
unviable for the poor maritime countries in south Asia Reid, H.F. 1906. The elastic-rebound theory of earthquakes, Bull
and Africa. Dep. Geol. Univ. Calif, v.6, pp:413-444.
One useful suggestion, which might partly mitigate the Roy, A.B. 2008. A critic on the Tsunami-Earthquake link. Curr.
effects of Tsunami is to plant trees like coconut, palms, Sci., v.111,pp:45-66.
and mangroves to cover the shoreline. The effectiveness Shetye, S.R. 2005. Tsunamis: A large-Scale Earth and Ocean
of such a measure has been witnessed during the recent Phenomenon. Resonance, February, 8-19.

335

View publication stats