WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) - Geologists analyze the January 12 earthquake in Haiti said the risk of destructive tsunami higher than expected in places like Kingston, Istanbul, and several cities around Los Angeles.
As Haiti's capital, cities are all located near the beach and near an active geological feature called strike-slip faults where two tectonic plates slide past each other like two hands rubbing against each other. That is, the risk of tsunami in Haiti is much greater.
Until now, geologists do not consider the tsunami risk is very high in these places because when this fault rupture, they usually do not replace the vertical sea floor a lot, which is how most of the resulting tsunami.
Recent studies show even moderate earthquakes on strike-slip faults could produce tsunamis by submarine landslides, improving the overall tsunami risk in these places.
"The scary about that you do not need a big earthquake to trigger a major tsunami," said Matt Hornbach, research associate at The University of Texas at Austin Institute of Geophysics and lead author on the paper describing the research in the October 10 online edition of the journal Nature Geoscience.
"The organization that issued a tsunami warning is usually looking for a major earthquake faults in the push," said Hornbach.
"Now we see no need to require these things A moderate earthquake on the strike-slip faults can still be cause for alarm .."
Within minutes after the earthquake measuring 7 on Haiti, a series of tsunami waves, some as high as nine feet (three meters), hitting the coastline. A few weeks later, a team of scientists from the U.S. and Haiti to survey the field of geology and offshore sites near the epicenter.
The scientists determined the tsunamis generated mainly by the weak sediment on the beach that collapsed and slid along the sea bottom, displacing the water above it.
Combined with the newly discovered evidence of historical tsunamis, the survey reveals a third of the tsunami in the region produced in this way.
Previous geologists estimated that only about three percent of the global tsunami generated by underwater landslides.
"We found that the tsunami disaster in Haiti about 10 times more likely to be generated in this way than we expected," said Hornbach.
Hornbach and others now lead a new research project at the nearby Jamaica to assess the tsunami threat in there.
"Geology Kingston, Jamaica is almost identical to Port Au Prince, Haiti," said Hornbach. "This is prime and ready to go and they must prepare for that good news is,. They have a leg up because they are aware of these issues."
We all must be vigilant because the tsunami not only could happen there, but could be around us. Tsunami Hazards are everywhere, as long as still in contact with the sea. We prepared to deal creatively Tsunami?
Creative Solutions:
1. Learning to swim as early as possible
2. Start a personal rubber boat and learn to paddle
3. Diligently monitor weather developments and the latest news
4. A lot of praying and trying to
5. Stay away from the beach and surrounding area as much as possible
So we hopefully useful tips.
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