Critical Review of an Environmental Hazard - Term Paper Example

The earth crust mainly consists of two layers; the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. These are two distinct layers in density and composition and cause instability beneath the earth surface. The earth crust comprises of various igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks forming tectonic plates. (Cain 2009) The plates found on top of the mantle which is the second layer of the earth, and it is believed that convection of rocks at this region causes sliding of plates. Under the oceans, we have the oceanic crust, a sheet different from the continental crust which is thinner unlike the continental one.

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning “harbor wave’ and is the vertical displacement of oceanic water triggered by other environmental hazards like earthquakes. (Cocke. et al 2007) Water gushes from the oceans at high velocity extending towards the continental crust and causes havoc. This paper aims at illustrating the environmental hazard tsunami, its consequences and how the world has reacted towards the management of its effects. The natural hazard tsunami will be expounded geologically, and its trigger action discussed at length.

Also, case studies on the tsunami will be identified and analyzed for probable information that help in enlightening individuals on various measures to solve the menace brought about by this immense natural catastrophe. Tsunami is triggered by earthquakes that cause uplift r subsidence of the ocean floor, underwater landslides, volcano flank collapse or explosions of under water machines like submarines. DISCUSSION Case studies On critical analysis of the case study by Shi & Smith on the topic: "Coastal Tsunami Geo-Morphological Impacts and Sedimentation Process: Case Studies of Modern Prehistoric Events.

” Coastal flooding risk study interests the engineers, planners and politicians alike. Tsunami categorically represents a radical, serious form of coastal flooding risk. Asian countries like Japan and China are strongly associated with this phenomenon. This has been on gradual increase among the researchers describing a sequence of waves that pass through the ocean with outstandingly extended wavelengths. This occurs along a series of thousand of miles along the ocean and on approaching the coastline, the speed of the wave’s decreases due to deformation by shallower water depths.

As the process of deformation occurs, the waves increase in height significantly and on reaching the coastline causes massive flooding in the low lying coastal area. This leads to destruction of property and natural phenomenon. Tsunamis are not tidal waves and are not related to changes in weather but rather the instability in the earth’s crust. (Shi & Smith 2003) This case study illustrates various occurrences of tsunamis like the Flores tsunami which was generated by 1992 Indonesian earthquake, the 1998 Papa new Guinea tsunami and the Holocene Stroregga Tsunami caused by a catastrophic sub-marine landslide of Storegga, Norway at circa.

The occurrence of Tsunamis is associated with catastrophic flooding leading to widespread destruction of property, infrastructure and industrial installations and loss of life. It is not widely understood of the occurrence of these catastrophic happenings; these case studies only illustrate the extent of flooding, and the geo-morphological impact variance along the coastal line. It is imperative that estimating the impact