Tsunamis

Tsunamis are destructive forces of nature that need to be studied by scientists to better prepare for them and address their aftermath afterwards. Tsunamis are generated by earthquakes and in-general seismic activity, they’re usually massive forces of water and other things collected by the waves of the ocean during this kind of an event, and eventually these massive waves of debris and water hit shorelines like a wrecking ball of chaotic proportions. Once the tsunami hits the shoreline, it practically decimates everything in its path.

Many countries have had their experiences with tsunamis, especially in areas like Southeastern Asia. This is mainly due to the geological activity in Indonesia being relatively high, with magnitudes reported across the 2000s usually reaching 7, happening frequently. Geologists and meteorologists have developed technology for detecting such earthquakes by utilizing buoys in the Indian Ocean which collect data. These buoys whilst monitoring the water around them can detect irregular displacement of water and the subsequent vibrations across the ocean from seismic activity, and can also transmit this information back to the scientists operating them.

Nations need to act in the most efficient way possible in wake of an issue of a tsunami approaching a highly populated area, this especially goes for beaches. This wasn’t the case for a long time, and many countries were affected before a system was developed and used. Countries like Sumatra, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, and even countries outside of Southeastern Asia are some examples. Earthquakes that cause tsunamis can reach far with their powerful shockwaves; the ones generated in Indonesia have reached as far as Somalia on the East African coast at certain times. Currently, there is now a system for earthquakes and tsunamis in place for the Pacific Ocean. This system was put in place to give protection to places like Japan, which is known amongst geologists and like minded people, to be near the Ring of Fire, an area of seismic activity along the Pacific plate boundaries, which stretches around the borders of the Pacific Ocean. It is also extremely geologically active in places like Indonesia; thus, it was clear for many people to act and come up with a protocol or system, to protect nations from tsunamis and other natural disasters.

So, after much protest and activism, governments and scientists worked together to make protocols and a system in-place for the Indian Ocean region. This system and these protocols since the beginning, however, have been sometimes slow or not very effective sometimes. However, it is still progress in-place to deal with the constantly changing climate of our planet. Progress is ultimately what matters to get somewhere with living on Planet Earth, progress for a better tomorrow, and progress ultimately toward protecting against natural disasters and forces of nature, whilst understanding them simultaneously through a scientific perspective.?