Tsunami
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TSUNAMI BASICS
Review Chapter One: Tsunami Basics and complete the following workbook.
WHAT IS A TSUNAMI?
WHAT DOES THE WORD TSUNAMI MEAN?
WHERE DO MOST EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES OCCUR ON
EARTH’S SURFACE?
WHAT IS SUBDUCTION?
WHY IS SUBDUCTION RELEVANT TO TSUNAMI?
WHAT CAUSES MOST TSUNAMI EVENTS?
Match the tsunami cause to the pie chart:
Earthquakes
Unknown
Volcanoes
Weather events
Landslides
Credit: NOAA/Surf Life Saving Australia
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WHERE DO MOST TSUNAMI EVENTS HAPPEN?
DESCRIBE THE RING OF FIRE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO TSUNAMI
EVENTS:
On this map, show the location of the Ring of Fire:
Credit: Geoscience Australia /Surf Life Saving Australia
THERE ARE THREE STAGES IN A TSUNAMI EVENT. PUT THEM IN
ORDER AND EXPLAIN WHAT THE TERMS MEAN:
Inundation
Generation
Propagation
HOW FAST DO TSUNAMI WAVES TRAVEL IN THE OPEN OCEAN?
HOW HIGH ARE TSUNAMI WAVES IN THE OPEN OCEAN?
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HOW FAR APART ARE TSUNAMI WAVES IN THE OPEN OCEAN?
EXPLAIN WHAT DRAWBACK MEANS:
WHAT IS SHOALING?
DRAW A PICTURE OF SHOALING:
HOW ARE TSUNAMI AND WIND WAVES DIFFERENT?
A TSUNAMI IS ONE GIANT WAVE. TRUE / FALSE
DISCUSS
A tsunami in open water is barely perceptible but can reach great
heights as it approaches land. Why?
AUSTRALIAN TSUNAMI
IMPACTS
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Review Chapter Two: Australian Tsunami Impacts and complete the following
workbook.
DOES AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCE TSUNAMI? YES / NO
WHAT SORT OF TSUNAMI IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR IN AUSTRALIA?
FROM WHERE WILL TSUNAMI THAT REACH AUSTRALIA MOST LIKELY
COME?
HOW QUICKLY WILL A TSUNAMI REACH MAINLAND AUSTRALIA AFTER
AN UNDERSEA EARTHQUAKE?
WHAT ARE TSUNAMI MODELS USED FOR?
Credit: Bureau of Meteorology
WHICH TRENCHES PRESENT POTENTIAL TSUNAMI THREATS
TO AUSTRALIA?
Label them on this map:
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Credit: Bureau of Meteorology/Surf Life Saving Australia
HOW MANY TSUNAMI EVENTS HAVE THERE BEEN IN AUSTRALIA SINCE
1788?
HOW DID THE 2006 JAVA TRENCH TSUNAMI IMPACT AUSTRALIA?
DISCUSS
How was Australia affected by the three major tsunami events
since 2000: the 2004 Indian Ocean, 2010 Chile and 2011 Japan
tsunami events?
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WARNING SYSTEM
Review Chapter Three: Warning System and complete the following workbook.
WHICH ORGANISATIONS ARE INVOLVED IN THE AUSTRALIAN TSUNAMI
WARNING SYSTEM?
WHAT ORGANISATION IS THE AUTHORITY FOR TSUNAMI WARNINGS IN
AUSTRALIA?
THERE ARE SEVERAL STAGES IN A TSUNAMI WARNING.
Put the following steps in order.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre liaises with partners in the Australia
Tsunami Warning System.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre upgrades the Watch to a Warning.

An earthquake is detected by Geoscience Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology uses models to predict the height, speed and direction of
a potential tsunami.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre issues a Watch or No Threat bulletin.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre cancels the Warning.

The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre monitors the tsunami detection
network.

Scientists at the Bureau of Meteorology review data from Geoscience Australia to
determine if a tsunami has been generated.
Match the steps to the stages in the warning cycle:
1. Detect
2. Assess
3. Advise
4. Inform
5. Monitor
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6. Revise
7. Close
WHAT INSTRUMENTS DOES GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA USE TO DETECT
EARTHQUAKES?
HOW QUICKLY CAN THE JOINT AUSTRALIAN TSUNAMI WARNING
CENTRE ISSUE TSUNAMI WARNINGS AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE?
10 minutes
30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours
WHAT MONITORING NETWORKS DOES THE JOINT AUSTRALIAN
TSUNAMI WARNING CENTRE USE TO DETECT TSUNAMI EVENTS?
EXPLAIN HOW TSUNAMI DETECTION BUOYS WORK:
WHAT WEBSITE SHOULD YOU CHECK FOR TSUNAMI WARNINGS IN
AUSTRALIA?
WHAT ARE THE FIVE LEVELS OF TSUNAMI WARNINGS?
Identify the warning levels on this map:
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Credit: Bureau of Meteorology
TO WHICH INTERNATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEMS DOES
AUSTRALIA BELONG?
DISCUSS
What are the roles played by Geoscience Australia and the Bureau
of Meteorology in the Australian Tsunami Warning System? What
other organisations are involved?
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MARINE THREAT TSUNAMI
Review Chapter Four: Marine Threat Tsunami and complete the following
workbook.
WHAT IS A MARINE THREAT TSUNAMI?
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF THERE IS A MARINE THREAT TSUNAMI
WARNING?
IF I’M SWIMMING WHEN A MARINE TSUNAMI COMES, I COULD GET
DRAGGED OUT TO SEA BY STRONG RIPS OR CURRENTS. TRUE /
FALSE
CASE STUDY: 2010 HAWAII MARINE THREAT TSUNAMI
Research the case study further. List the ways in which Hawaii was impacted
by the marine threat tsunami. Fill in the table below:
Social Impacts
(e.g. people,
health, food)
Environmental
Impacts
(e.g. flora, fauna,
air, water, terrain)
Economic
Impacts (e.g.
income, jobs
business,
government
expenses)
Other
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DISCUSS
What lessons were learnt from the 2010 Chile tsunami
and the marine threat tsunami in Hawaii?
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LAND THREAT TSUNAMI
Review Chapter Five: Land Threat Tsunami and complete the following
workbook.
WHAT IS A LAND THREAT TSUNAMI?
HAS AUSTRALIA EXPERIENCED LAND THREAT TSUNAMI? IF SO,
WHEN?
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IN A LAND THREAT TSUNAMI WARNING?
CASE STUDY: 2011 JAPAN LAND THREAT TSUNAMI
Research the case study further. List the ways in which Japan was impacted
by the land threat tsunami. Fill in the table below:
Social Impacts
(e.g. people,
health, food)
Environmental
Impacts
(e.g. flora, fauna,
air, water, terrain)
Economic
Impacts (e.g.
income, jobs
business,
government
expenses)
Other
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DISCUSS
Why was the 2011 Japanese tsunami so destructive?
How effective was the warning system?
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PREPARING FOR TSUNAMI
Review Chapter Six: Preparing for Tsunami and complete the following
workbook.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO BE PREPARED FOR A TSUNAMI?
WHICH ORGANISATION IS THE AUTHORITY FOR TSUNAMI WARNINGS
IN AUSTRALIA?
WHAT WEBSITE SHOULD YOU CHECK FOR TSUNAMI WARNINGS IN
AUSTRALIA?
WHAT PHONE NUMBER CAN YOU CALL FOR TSUNAMI WARNINGS IN
AUSTRALIA?
THERE ARE THREE MAIN SIGNS OF A TSUNAMI, DESCRIBE THEM:
FEEL
SEE
HEAR
CAN TSUNAMIS HAPPEN ON ANY COAST? YES / NO
DO ALL COUNTRIES HAVE TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEMS?
YES / NO
DISCUSS
What should you do if you feel, see or hear any of the
signs of tsunami?
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IF YOU’RE TRAVELLING OVERSEAS, WHICH WEBSITE SHOULD YOU
CHECK BEFORE YOU LEAVE TO LEARN ABOUT THE RISK OF TSUNAMI?
CASE STUDY: 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI
Research the case study further. List the ways in which Indian Ocean
countries were impacted by the tsunami. Fill in the table below:
Social Impacts
(e.g. people,
health, food)
Environmental
Impacts
(e.g. flora, fauna,
air, water, terrain)
Economic
Impacts (e.g.
income, jobs
business,
government
expenses)
Other
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