Tsunami - December 26, 2004 - Power of 400 hurricanes!

[max]

Is it really true that the Tsunami of December 26, 2004 really had the power or force of 400 hurricanes?

I watched a special where they were looking at a tree or some piece of wood in the ground and the way it was moved they said no human could survive the force of the Tsunami. That it has the power of 400 hurricanes!

Thats so much power! I guess its true because its not like a small wave coming at you its the whole entire ocean coming at you at very fast speed!

[Beam]

It's really just water getting displaced by a change in the seafloor (usually caused by an earthquake). It just goes really fast.

[max]

It's really just water getting displaced by a change in the seafloor (usually caused by an earthquake). It just goes really fast.

How fast does a Hurricane's storm surge go compared to how fast a Tsunami goes?

[wxmann_91]

It's really just water getting displaced by a change in the seafloor (usually caused by an earthquake). It just goes really fast.

How fast does a Hurricane's storm surge go compared to how fast a Tsunami goes?

Hurricane's storm surge is nothing compared to a tsunami. In the open ocean, tsunamis travel hundreds of mph, slowing to around 50 mph as it nears the coastline.

[max]

It's really just water getting displaced by a change in the seafloor (usually caused by an earthquake). It just goes really fast.

How fast does a Hurricane's storm surge go compared to how fast a Tsunami goes?

Hurricane's storm surge is nothing compared to a tsunami. In the open ocean, tsunamis travel hundreds of mph, slowing to around 50 mph as it nears the coastline.

So how fast does a Hurricane's storm surge move please?

[Beam]

Mm, it would vary with the hurricane. The tsunami zones got completely flooded in a matter of minutes, where your typical surge from say, a Category 3 takes an hour or two to really kick in.

Of course, other factors such as the hurricane's previous intensity, the hurricane's forward speed, the landfall zone geography, etc. come into play, but the bottom line is that a tsunami is quite decidedly faster than a hurricane surge.

[max]

Could a hurricane ever create a Tsunami ?

If not could a Major Hurricane and a Tsunami happen at the same time? Is it possible?

[Beam]

For the former, no way. A tsunami is generated by rapid displacement of water at the sea floor, Hurricanes have no bearing there.

For the latter, sure. Weather phenomena and seismic activity ae two totally different things. Needless to say, it would be a major pain if the two coincided.

[max]

For the former, no way. A tsunami is generated by rapid displacement of water at the sea floor, Hurricanes have no bearing there.

For the latter, sure. Weather phenomena and seismic activity ae two totally different things. Needless to say, it would be a major pain though.

What do you mean it would be a major pain though?

[brunota2003]

a hurricane create a tsunami? not that I know of...while this link has nothing to do with storm surge verus tsunami, it still is an interesting read on storm surge, here: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C1.html

[max]

How many miles can a Tsunami extend and how many miles can a Hurricane's storm surge extend? Not inland wise but long ways.

[brunota2003]

How many miles can a Tsunami extend and how many miles can a Hurricane's storm surge extend? Not inland wise but long ways.

A tsunami can destory hundreds of miles of coastline on multiple landmasses. A storm surge only extends as far as the hurricane, however the worst is around the eyewall I believe...especially in the RFQ according to how it is moving

[max]

How many miles can a Tsunami extend and how many miles can a Hurricane's storm surge extend? Not inland wise but long ways.

A tsunami can destory hundreds of miles of coastline on multiple landmasses. A storm surge only extends as far as the hurricane, however the worst is around the eyewall I believe...

Ok so a Tsunami could be 100 to 1000 times worst hitting the east coast rather than a Major Hurricane hitting it because it would effect the whole east coast.

[brunota2003]

How many miles can a Tsunami extend and how many miles can a Hurricane's storm surge extend? Not inland wise but long ways.

A tsunami can destory hundreds of miles of coastline on multiple landmasses. A storm surge only extends as far as the hurricane, however the worst is around the eyewall I believe...

Ok so a Tsunami could be 100 to 1000 times worst hitting the east coast rather than a Major Hurricane hitting it because it would effect the whole east coast.

if a tsunami were to hit the east coast of the US, then it would affect every island along the way, the tsunami does not travel in just one direction, so it could hit Africa and the US plus the Islands around where Chris was, it would be like the tsunami in 2004 where it took out multiple countrys coastlines...so it would not be only the US who got affected...

[max]

Wow that would be really bad. How far inland can a Tsunami go?

[f5]

Mississippi looked like they got smashed by a tsunami

[brunota2003]

I dont know how far, depends on where it hits and how high the wave is, here: http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/faq.php There is an FAQ on tsunami's, have fun, looks like some good reading

[max]

Mississippi looked like they got smashed by a tsunami

True.

How far inland did the storm surge go?

[f5]

Mississippi looked like they got smashed by a tsunami

True.

How far inland did the storm surge go?

past interstate 10 near waveland.

[wxmann_91]

Although I'm not exactly sure on the specifics, I believe a tsunami can travel much further inland than storm surge, since tsunamis have much bigger wavelengths.