IndexTale of Two TsunamisThe science behind the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Japanese tsunamisRole of technology in loss of life during two tsunami eventsImpacts of the two tsunamis on societyConclusionTale of Two tsunamiFrom time to time, various parts of the world are victims of unfortunate tragic events, natural disasters, caused by the irrepressible forces of nature. Natural disasters include avalanches, lightning, tsunamis, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and hurricanes. Forest fires are also part of natural disasters, although most of them often start due to human play. Therefore, in search of knowledge to learn more about natural disasters, this article will focus on the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Japan tsunamis, exploring the comparisons and contrasts of the science behind these events and the contribution of technology to their occurrence. Furthermore, it will also illustrate the impact of these two tsunami events on society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayThe science behind the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Japanese tsunamisAccording to the International Tsunami Information Center (2017), tsunamis can be described as "a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance such as an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption or a meteorite. A tsunami can move hundreds of kilometers per hour offshore and crash into land with waves up to 100 feet or more high.” Tsunamis are therefore ocean waves that originate from earthquakes or underwater landslides On that note, regarding these two catastrophic events, the Sumatra tsunami was the first to occur as it occurred on December 26, 2004, while the Japan tsunami occurred much later in 2011. The Sumatra tsunami , an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 9.1-9.3, struck off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra at 00:58:50 UTC. The tsunami is believed to have originated from a subduction of approximately 1200 km of the boundary between the Indian Ocean and the Burmese tectonic plates that lie off the western coast of North Sumatra. The scientists explained that the Indian plate, which moves about 5-5.55 cm per year in a north-east direction relative to the Burma plate, has caused a subduction of the Indian-Australian plate beneath the Eurasian plate, making so that the seabed rose and moved the water above the sea. level. The epicenter was at 3,298 N, 95,779 E, while its focal depth was less than 33 km. It created an estimated energy release of approximately 1.1×1017 joules at the Earth's surface, making it the third largest earthquake ever recorded, as the largest of all occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile. The wavelengths were up to 25 meters high. The event caused more than 84 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 5.0 to 7.0 in North Sumatra, Nicobar, and the Andaman Islands (Pararas-Carayannis, 2005). The destructive power of the tsunami was demonstrated by the shaking of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand, 1,242 miles away from where the earthquake occurred. It has killed more than 230,000 people (Oskin, 2017). On the other hand, the Japan tsunami occurred at 05:46 UTC on March 11, 2011, off the Pacific coast of Tōhoku in Japan. It is also called the Great Sendai Earthquake or the Great Tōhoku Earthquake. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake was caused by the rupture of a section of the subduction zone, which is located between the Eurasian and Pacific plates. The epicenter was located approximately 130 km east of the city of Sendai, with a focal depth of almost 30 km below the seabedof the western Pacific Ocean. What happened was that a portion of the subduction zone, about 300 km long and 150 km wide, wobbled about 50 meters east-southeast and pushed upward almost 10 meters. Although it was not as severe as the 2004 Sumatra tsunami, it was still destructive as it caused severe damage and infrastructure and over 120,000 buildings were destroyed. As of June 10, 2016, approximately 15,894 people had died as a result of the tsunami. The tsunami also caused a failure in the cooling system of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (Oskin, 2017). Role of technology in loss of life during two tsunami eventsThe 2004 Sumatra tsunami caused more casualties than the 2011 Japan tsunami tragedy because monitoring The system lacked basic equipment such as the telephone line needed to transmit emergency signals alarm about impending disaster. Therefore, it was impossible even for the United Nations to issue a warning to the Indian Ocean nations, 15 minutes after detecting the tsunami in seabed pressure sensors and seismographs. On the other hand, the Japanese nation had an active earthquake warning system that prevented many deaths from occurring, as the natives of Tokyo received a warning before the earthquakes destroyed the city. That is, strict seismic building codes and the early warning system have allowed the closure of high-speed trains such as Shinkansen bullet trains, as well as the closure of earthquake-prone elevators and factories (Vervaeck & Dr. Daniell, 2017) . Additionally, residents received SMS alerts on their cell phones, a factor that allowed people to prepare for the second shock wave (Oskin, 2017). In the two events, therefore, technology played very different roles. For example, the lack of communication equipment in the monitoring system caused more people to die in the Sumatra tsunami, which was contrary to the Japan tsunami as the deployment of the early warning system and delivery of warning texts helped save lives. Impacts of the two tsunamis on societyAlthough to varying degrees, both tragic events led to devastating impacts on society and the unfortunate loss of life. For example, the Sumatra tsunami killed more than 230,000 people and displaced nearly 1.7 million people in more than 14 Southeast Asian countries, while the Japan tsunami killed 15,894 people as of June 10, 2016 ( Oskin, 2017). However, both produced solid waste and disaster debris that proved difficult to dispose of in an environmentally appropriate manner. Of the two events, the Sumatran tsunami caused the greatest number of human losses because it occurred in an area of high population density, where it hit with the greatest force. Furthermore, it produced aftershocks that were higher in wavelength, thus affecting more people in the affected areas. Furthermore, there was no warning communication from the authorities so that people could evacuate the exposed areas. In terms of economic losses, the tsunami in Japan leads the way, as the direct financial damage resulting from the disaster is around $199 billion, with the total economic cost expected to rise to $235 billion, while the financial damage direct tsunami The Sumatra tsunami is estimated to be worth $20 billion, a figure that could rise to $35 billion. The expected economic cost to Japan is higher because its nuclear facilities have been severely damaged. Various governments have donated nearly $6.25 billion in an effort to help tsunami victims in Sumatra, while in 2012 donations for the.
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