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Hutchison School

The Affect of Water Depth on Wave velocity of a Tsunami

Millie Mencke 6th Grade Science 6-3-9 Donna Budynas December 9th, 2013

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What is the affect of water depth on wave velocity of a tsunami? Tsunamis are fast, big, and deadly, so what causes them to form and grow? A tsunami is a set of ocean waves caused by a disturbance in the ocean. They can become very deadly if they reach land. Tsunami is a Japanese word, tsu meaning harbor and nami meaning wave. Tsunamis can get to over 100 feet, thats why they can become a threat when crashing on land. When they start out, they are often compared to the speed of a jet because they move as fast as 500 mph. In the deep ocean, tsunamis are only about a foot or so high. When they reach land, the contracting of the tide leads to the top of the tsunami rising. When it gets to about 100 ft, it crashes down on structures and drowns people. It also contains a series of waves called a wave train, so when you think its over, more waves could be coming. Today they invented warning signals to warn people in tropical islands or places in the tsunamis direction to get to higher ground. The most common causes for a tsunami are earthquakes, less commonly by submarine landslides, infrequently by submarine volcanic eruptions and very rarely by a large meteorite impact in the ocean.(NOAA.gov)Tsunamis are also known as seismic sea waves, but often mistakenly called tidal waves. The reason the earthquakes and other causes make tsunamis is because of the tectonic plates. When an earthquake occurs, it is because of the Earths tectonic plates moving underground. When an earthquake happens under the sea, it causes the water above it to become a ripple. The ripple travels in all directions, and when it reaches land, it is called a tsunami.

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My question on how water depth affects wave velocity of a tsunami is very simple. Wave velocity basically means the speed of the wave, although, properly, velocity implies both speed and direction. Water depth means how deep a body of water is measured at a certain time and date. My question is asking, would the depth of the water near a tsunami affect how fast it travels? For example, would a wave depth of 100 ft affect how fast a tsunami would travel if it originated from an ocean of 100 ft. My prediction is that the deeper the ocean, the faster the tsunami. In conclusion, Tsunamis are formed from natural causes, and are catastrophic events that depend on other factors to form, grow, and move from the ocean to land. I also predict that the deeper the water depth, the fast the wave velocity.

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Works Cited Bernard, Eddie N. "A Tsunami Story." NOAA. NOAA, n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/tsunami_story.html "Tsunamis: Killer Waves." National Geographic. National Geographic, 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/tsunami-profile/ "Tsunamis." Ready.gov. N.p., 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://www.ready.gov/tsunamis "How a Tsunami Happens." Academic Evergreen. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/grossmaz/springle/ "How Do Tsunamis Develop." Discovery Kids. N.p., 2012. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. http://kids.discovery.com/tell-me/curiosity-corner/weather/extreme-weather/how-dotsunamis-develop

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