Lesson #5: “Tsunami!”

• Teacher Information

• Student Worksheet #1 “Alert #1: Report of Earthquake”

• “Tsunami Travel Times to Honolulu Harbor (Hours)”

• “Tsunami Information Bulletins”

• Student Worksheet #2 “Alert #2: Earthquake’s Magnitude”

• Student Worksheet #3 “Alert #3: Additional Data for the Earthquake”

• “Alaska DART Buoy Locations”

• Student Worksheets #1-3 Teacher Answer Sheet

• Student Worksheet #4 “How Tsunami Technology Helps”

• Lesson #5 Student Worksheet #4 “How Tsunami Technology Helps” Science Reflection

Rubric

LESSON #: 5

TITLE: “Tsunami!”

OVERVIEW:

What do scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center do if they think a tsunami is

coming? In Lesson #5 students take the role of scientists at the PTWC in a mock tsunami

drill. The lesson begins with an alert that an earthquake has happened somewhere in the

Pacific Ocean. In this and two successive alerts students are given information to allow

them to determine which kind of a Tsunami Information Bulletin to issue.

KEY CONCEPTS:

1. Scientists at Tsunami Warning Centers use technology (e.g., seismometers, tide

gauges, DART buoys & tsunameters, and satellites) to predict tsunamis.

2. TWC scientists also issue bulletins to inform the public about tsunamis.

STANDARD(S)-BENCHMARK(S):

Standard 2: Nature of Science

Benchmark 6.2.1: Explain how technology has an impact on society and science.

NOAA ocean literacy:

Essential Principle #6: The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

FC (f) Coastal regions are susceptible to natural hazards (tsunamis, hurricanes,

cyclones, sea level change, and storm surges).

Essential Principle #7: The ocean is largely unexplored.

FC (d) New technologies, sensors and tools are expanding our ability to explore

the ocean. Ocean scientists are relying more and more on satellites, drifters,

buoys, underwater observatories and unmanned submersibles.

TEACHER BACKGROUND:

Tsunami Warning Centers, like the PTWC, don’t exist just to study tsunamis. They were

created to disseminate accurate tsunami prediction information for public safety.

This lesson is built around a fictitious earthquake and tsunami scenario. Some

information is taken from both the 1952 Kamchatka earthquake as well as the 1957

2

Alaska earthquake. The report of a major landslide at Olga Bay is made-up, although the

effect of seaside or undersea landslides adding to a tsunami’s power is an accurate

hypothesis. The DART information is also fictitious; the first DART buoys for tsunami

measurement were deployed in the late 1990s.

DURATION: roughly 2 class periods (about 45 minutes each) or 1 class period followed

by a homework assignment

VOCABULARY:

• tsunami advisory = the lowest level of tsunami alert; states that an earthquake has

occurred with might have generated a tsunami

• tsunami warning = the highest level of tsunami alert; sirens sound; appropriate

evacuations occur

• tsunami watch = the middle level of tsunami alert; states a tsunami may have been

generated; begin advance preparations for possible evacuation

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Per student group:

• pencil, eraser

• Student Worksheet #1 “Alert #1: Report of Earthquake”

• for Student Worksheet #1 “Alert #1: Report of Earthquake”

-- math compass for drawing circles

-- map “Tsunami Travel Times to Honolulu Harbor (Hours)”

-- “Tsunami Information Bulletins”

-- one or more atlases/globes that students can use to find the name for the

Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, along the western shore of the north Pacific

Ocean.

• Student Worksheet #2 “Alert #2: Earthquake’s Magnitude”

• Student Worksheet #3 “Alert #3: Additional Data for the Earthquake”

-- “Alaska DART Locations”

• (optional: overhead projector, screen, transparency of Student Worksheet #1 and

transparency marker in a compass)

PROCEDURE:

1. It would be especially effective if the classroom could be set up before the

students enter. When a classroom is changed suddenly from the previous day’s

floor plan, it heightens student mood to mimic tsunami crisis mode! Move

student desks and chairs so that there are about 3 students in each group. Perhaps

3

you could take some stiff paper or oak tag, fold it into a triangular-cross-section

label that can stand on its own. Write student names on the card and place one on

each cluster of desks.

2. As students come in the classroom door, tell them to find their table group. There

should be at least one pencil & eraser with each group.

3. Tell students they are Pacific Tsunami Warning Center scientists! They have 15

minutes to issue a Tsunami Information Bulletin because an earthquake has been

recorded from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean area. The people in Hawai’i need

to know if there’s a dangerous tsunami coming!

4. Give to each student group:

• Student Worksheet #1 “Alert#1: Report of Earthquake,” “Tsunami Travel

Times to Honolulu Harbor (Hours)”

• “Tsunami Information Bulletins”

• (DON’T pass out Student Worksheets #2 and #3 yet!)

5. Help students understand the directions on Student Worksheet #1--

• Perhaps demonstrate how to use the math compass by drawing the first circle

on a transparent copy of Student Worksheet #1, using an overhead projector &

screen.

• Clarify the “bull’s eye” lines. Tell students if an earthquake generated a

tsunami anywhere on a line, the number tells how many hours it would take

the tsunami to reach Honolulu Harbor.

• Point out the classroom’s atlas/globe, when students need it.

• Tell students they need to have their answers in less than 15 minutes!

6. After 15 minutes, briefly discuss Student Worksheet #1, using the Lesson #5

Students Worksheets #1-3 Teacher Answer Sheet,” and then give each group

Student Worksheet #2 “Alert #2: Earthquake’s Magnitude.” (Still don’t give out

Student Worksheet #3 yet.) Students have 10 minutes to decide what update

Bulletin to issue!

7. Briefly discuss Student Worksheet #2, and then pass out the last worksheet,

Student Worksheet #3 “Alert #3: Additional Data for the Earthquake.”

8. Student Worksheet #3, X axis time: Students may need help understanding the

tide gage data, since the numbers for GMT time might be strange. Explain that

both the military and science use a 24-hour clock. For example, on the X axis,

“15” means 15 - 12, or 3:00 in the afternoon.

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9. Student Worksheet #3, tide gage: The tide gage graph is from Bryant, E.,

Tsunami: The underrated hazard, which is rather a professional-scientist sort of

book; see Resources below. It is unclear as to what all the individual vertical

“squiggles” are in the line graph. Perhaps the tide gage at Midway was in the

atoll’s harbor, where tide gages often are. Tsunamis (as their Japanese name

“harbor wave” implies) often reflect back and forth within a harbor, sort of

“sloshing around,” like waves in a bathtub. Therefore, perhaps the vertical

“squiggles” are crests & troughs associated with this tsunami reflection within the

harbor.

In any case, the point of the showing the graph to the students is to have them

realize that there was a BIG change in sea level height at 1800 hours GMT, or

8:00 a.m., Hawai’i time. Students should infer that the sea level change was due

to a tsunami (with “sloshing”) passing Midway. See Student Worksheets #1 - 3

Teacher Answer sheet for further information.

10. Quickly tell students they only have 10 minutes! Time’s a-wasting; is a dangerous

tsunami approaching Hawai’i?!

11. About 35 minutes have passed since this Lesson began. Bring it to a close by

discussing Student Worksheet #3 and the final Bulletin. Tell students that their

“tsunami drill” was fictitious, although it used some data from real tsunamis,

especially the 1952 and ’57 tsunamis. These tsunamis hit Hawai’i, caused

considerable damage in some areas, but caused no loss of life!

12. Perhaps show the Justin Fujioka CD (see Resources below) either in connection

with Lesson #5 or with Lesson #6 “Are YOU Ready?”

13. Have students complete individually Student Worksheet #4 “How Tsunami

Technology Helps.” Remind them of what they studied in Lesson #3

“Technology to the Rescue” about these instruments -- seismometer, tide gage,

NOAA’S DART buoy & tsunameter, and satellite However, the focus has

changed a little since Lesson #3. In Lesson #3, the Benchmark was:

Benchmark 6.2.2.: Explain how the needs of society have influenced the

development and use of technologies.” The 1946 tragedy led to the

establishment of PTWC and tsunami technology.

Now, in Lesson #4, the Benchmark is the “sister,” or “flipside” to 6.2.2.:

Benchmark 6.2.1: Explain how technology has in impact on society and

science.” Tsunami techonology can now save lives and help us to gather

better data to understand the science of tsunamis.

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ASSESSMENTS:

Benchmark 6.2.1: Explain how technology has an impact on society and science -

- summative assessment -- Lesson #5 Student Worksheet #4 “How Tsunami

Technology Helps” Science Reflection Rubric

RESOURCES:

• Web:

Alaska recent marine data. (2007). Retrieved April 8, 2007, from NOAA

National Data Buoy Center Web site:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Alaska.shtml

April is tsunami awareness month in Hawaii. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2007,

from Pacific Disaster Center’s Web site:

http://www.pdc.org/PDCNewsWebArticles/2007/TsunamiMonth/tsunami07.h

tml

DART design capability test procedures. (2007). Retrieved April 8, 2007,

from NOAA National Data Buoy Center Web site:

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/dart/dart2_pc_2.shtml

Frequently asked questions (FAQ). (2007). Retrieved April 9, 2007, from

National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Web site:

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/faq.php

Magnitude 8.3 - Kuril Islands. (2007). Retrieved April 8, 2007, from USGS

Earthquake Hazards Program Web site:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usvcam.php#details

Richter magnitude scale. (2007). Retrieved April 8, 2007, from Wikipedia, the

Free Encyclopedia Web site:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/usvcam.php#details

TsunamiReadyTM

helps communities and counties at risk. (n.d.). Retrieved

April 7, 2007, from NOAA National Weather Service TsunamiReadyTM

Web

site: http://www.tsunamiready.noaa.gov/

• Print:

Bryant, E. (2001). Tsunami: The underrated hazard. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press.

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Smith, C. B. (2006). Extreme waves. Washington, DC: John Henry Press.

Walker, D. (1994). Tsunami facts. Honolulu: School of Ocean and Earth

Science and Technology, University of Hawaii.

• Media:

Fujioka, J. (April 2007). Tsunami information. KITV channel 4 evening news.

• 1st segment --Tsunami Survivors from Hilo 1946 tsunami (0:00-2:17)

• 2nd

segment -- Tsunami Watch and Warning (2:18-4:16)

• 3rd

segment -- Tsunami Evacuation Zones Online (4:17-6:06)

• 4th segment -- Big Island Community’s Preparedness (6:07-8:18)

• 5th

segment – Technology: DART buoys and NOAA weather radios (8:19-

10:45)

Lesson #5 Student names: _____________________________

“Tsunami!”

Student Worksheet #1 ______________________________

“Alert #1: Report of Earthquake”

______________________________

Directions:

It’s 4:30 a.m. in Hawai’i. Seismometers at Tsunami Warning Centers around the Pacific have

just recorded an earthquake. You are one of the scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Center; it’s

your job to work together to figure out the earthquake’s epicenter (the place on the Earth’s

surface where the earthquake occurred, deep underneath.)

Seismometer Data

Location Tsunami Warning Center

Latitude Longitude

Distance from

Earthquake

PTWC1

21o N 158

0 W 3,000 miles

ATWC2

62o N 149

o W 1,000 miles

PMEL3

48o N 122

o W 2,500 miles

1 Pacific Tsunami Warning Center; Ewa Beach, HI

2 West Coast & Alaska Tsunami Warning Center; Palmer, AK

3 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory; Seattle, WA

1. Use the latitudes and longitudes in the data table to put dots on your map for each of the

three Tsunami Warning Centers; label each dot with the Center’s name.

2. One of the scientists in your group should use the compass to draw a circle around the

PTWC. Place the center of the circle at the PTWC. Use the map scale to make the radius

of the circle equal to the distance from PTWC to the earthquake.

3. Take turns; others of you should repeat step 2 for the ATWC and PMEL.

4. The intersection of the three circles is the epicenter of the earthquake. What peninsula is

the epicenter near?

5. Do you think an earthquake at this location might produce a tsunami that could be

dangerous to Hawai’i? Explain.

6. When might a tsunami hit Hawai’i?

7. Refer to “Tsunami Information Bulletins.” What kind of Bulletin should you issue for

Hawai’i?

Tsunami Travel Times to Honolulu Harbor (Hours)

TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETINS

[Most information is from Frequently asked questions (FAQ). (2007). Retrieved April 8, 2007, from

National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Web site:

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/faq.php#29

A Tsunami Information Bulletin is issued to inform that an earthquake has occurred and to advise

regarding its potential to generate a tsunami. In most cases, a Tsunami Information Bulletin

indicates there is no threat of a destructive tsunami, and are used to prevent unnecessary

evacuations as the earthquake may have been felt in coastal areas. A Tsunami Information Bulletin

may, in appropriate situations, caution about the possibility of a destructive local tsunami. A

supplemental Tsunami Information Bulletin may be issued if important additional information is

received such as a sea level reading showing a tsunami signal. A Tsunami Information Bulletin may

also be upgraded to a watch or warning if appropriate.

What is a Tsunami Advisory?

The lowest level of tsunami alert. Advisories are issued to coastal populations when an earthquake

has occurred which might generate a tsunami. An Advisory indicates that an area is either outside

the current warning and watch regions or that the tsunami poses no danger to that area. The

Center(s) issuing the Advisory will continue to monitor the event, issuing updates at least hourly.

As conditions warrant, the Advisory will either be continued, upgraded to a watch or warning, or

ended.

What is a Tsunami Watch?

The second highest level of tsunami alert. Watches are issued by the TWCs when a tsunami was or

may have been generated, and a community is within a 3 to 6-hour travel time of a possible

tsunami. It is issued as a means of providing an advance alert to areas that could be impacted by

destructive tsunami waves. Watches are updated at least hourly to continue them, expand their

coverage, upgrade them to a Warning, or end the alert.

What is a Tsunami Warning?

The highest level of tsunami alert. Warnings are issued to any coastal community that’s within a

distance of 1,000 kilometers (620) miles from a large undersea earthquake. A warning will also be

issued for any community within a 3-hour travel time of a possible tsunami or following

confirmation that a potentially destructive tsunami is underway. They may initially be based only on

seismic information as a means of providing the earliest possible alert. Warnings advise that

appropriate actions be taken in response to the tsunami threat. Such actions could include the

evacuation of low-lying coastal areas and the movement of boats and ships out of harbors to deep

water. Warnings are updated at least hourly or as conditions warrant to continue, expand, restrict, or

end the warning.

Lesson #5 Student names: _____________________________

“Tsunami!”

Student Worksheet #2 ______________________________

“Alert #2: Earthquake’s Magnitude”

______________________________

Directions:

It’s now about 5:00 a.m. in Hawai’i. You and the other scientists at the Pacific Tsunami

Warning Center have calculated the Kamchatka earthquake’s magnitude to be about 6.8 on the

Richter Scale. Look at the Scale below, and then answer the question.

RICHTER SCALE

Description Richter

Magnitudes

Earthquake Effects, with data from Hawaiian

Tsunamis

Micro Less than 2.0 Micro-earthquakes not felt

Very minor 2.0-2.9 Generally not felt, but recorded

Minor 3.0-3.9 Often felt, but rarely causes damage

Light 4.0-4.9 Noticeable shaking of indoor items, rattling noises.

Significant damage unlikely.

Moderate 5.0-5.9 Can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings

over small regions. At most slight damage to well-

designed buildings.

Strong 6.0-6.9 Can be destructive in areas up to about 100 miles across

in populated areas.

Major 7.0-7.9 Can cause serious damage over larger areas.

• 1946 Alaska quake, 7.1, tsunami w/53 ft. runup

Great 8.0-8.9 Can cause serious damage in areas several hundred miles

across.

• 1957 Alaska quake, 8.1, tsunami w/53 ft. run-up

• 1960 Chile quake, 8.4, tsunami w/35 ft. run-up

• 2006 Kuril Is. quake, 8.3, tsunami of 88 cm

Really great 9.0-9.9 Devastating in areas several thousand miles across.

Meteoric 10.0+ Never recorded…yet!

Based on the information about some Hawaiian tsunamis given in the Scale, what update

Bulletin would you issue now for Hawai’i?

Lesson #5 Student names: _____________________________

“Tsunami!”

Student Worksheet #3 ______________________________

“Alert #3: Additional Data for the Earthquake”

______________________________

Directions:

It’s now after 9:00 a.m. in Hawai’i, and you are getting more information about the earthquake:

• Person-to-person communication: Scientists in Russia say a large tsunami hit the coastal

community of Petropavlovsk on Kamchatka. Survivors reported seeing a huge cliff slide

into Olga Bay before the tsunami slammed ashore. PTWC scientists are worried that this

catastrophic landslide could have added to the power of the earthquake. If a tsunami was

generated, perhaps it’s bigger than one that would have been made by a 6.8 earthquake.

• DART tsunameter data: About 6:30 a.m. Hawai’i time, DART buoy #46413 (check

“Alaska DART Locations”) sent data via satellite. The buoy’s tsunameter reported a

slight change in water pressure, but the change occurred over a long time. Calculations

show that a 1foot high wave crest went past the buoy with another crest following about

an hour later.

• Tide gauge data: Data from a tide gauge at Midway Atoll in the NW Hawaiian Islands

was sent by satellite to the PTWC:

The X axis is time. (GMT means Greenwich Mean Time, the time at the Prime Meridian

in Greenwich, England. Hawai’i is 10 hours earlier than GMT.)

1. If it’s 18 (usually called “18 hundred”) GMT, what time is it in Hawai’i?

2. What event probably happened a little before that time at Midway?

3. About how high was Midway’s sea surface about that time?

4. From your early morning Alert #1, when did you predict a tsunami might hit

Hawai’i?

5. What Bulletin will you scientists issue for Hawai’i now, since it’s after 9:00 a.m.?

Explain.

Alaska DART Buoy Locations

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Alaska.shtml

Lesson #5

“Tsunami!”

Student Worksheets #1 - 3

TEACHER ANSWER SHEET

Student Worksheet #1 “Alert #1: Report of Earthquake”

4. The earthquake’s epicenter is located off the SE coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula,

approximately 53o N, 159

o E.

5. Yes, there could be a tsunami generated heading toward Hawai’i. The earthquake occurred on

the seafloor, not on land; it’s necessary for a quake to occur near a coast or on the seafloor in

order to generate a tsunami. Also, the earthquake occurred in Hawai’i's ocean, the Pacific!

6. According to the concentric travel time circles, if a tsunami has been generated, it should

arrive at Hawai’i in about 6.5 hours, at 11:00 a.m.

7. An “Advisory” Bulletin should be issued for Hawai’i at this early stage. (Other places,

depending on their proximity to the earthquake, would certainly get a different category

Bulletin.)

Student Worksheet #2 “Alert #2: Earthquake’s Magnitude”

A Tsunami “Watch” Bulletin should probably be issued for Hawai’i, although some ambiguity is

intended. The hypothetical 6.8 earthquake appears a little on the low borderline, compared to

other earthquake magnitudes. Notice that even the large 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake did not

produce a significant tsunami. It’s good for students to understand that tsunami prediction is not

an exact science; there are many factors about tsunami generation that currently are under active

investigation.

Student Worksheet #3 “Alert #3: Additional Data for the Earthquake”

1. 18 - 10 = 8 a.m.

2. A little before 8:00 a.m. Hawai’i time, a tsunami swell passed over Midway raising the sea

surface.

3. Midway’s sea surface would have risen from about 0.8 m to about 1.4 m, a rise of 0.6 m,

equaling about 1! foot. (This graph is actually from the real 1957 Kamchatka earthquake.)

4. 11:00 a.m.

5. With all this increased indication of a major tsunami approaching Hawai’i within 2 hours, a

Tsunami Warning Bulletin should be issued!

Lesson #5 Student name: ______________________________

“Tsunami!”

Student Worksheet #4

“How Tsunami Technology Helps”

Write your reflections --

1. Explain how technology has an impact on science. Describe how scientists use each of

these instruments to learn more about tsunamis.

• seismometer

• tide gauge

• NOAA’s DART buoy & tsunameter

• satellite

2. Explain how technology can have an impact on society.

• Describe how the use of all the instruments helped people in Hawai’i during the

tsunamis of 1952 and 1957.

• Name and briefly describe the Tsunami Information Bulletins.

Lesson #5 Student Worksheet #4 “How Tsunami Technology Helps” Science Reflection

RUBRIC

CATEGORY Advanced Proficient Partially Proficient Novice

Description of

Impact on Science

Correctly

described how

scientists use

each of the 4

instruments.

Correctly

described how

scientists use 3

of the

instruments.

Correctly described

how scientists use

2 of the

instruments.

Correctly

described how

scientists use 1

of the

instruments.

Description of

Impact on Society

Recognized

that the

tsunami

instruments

and Bulletins

prevented loss

of life in

Hawai'i;

correctly

named and

described all 3

Bulletins.

Recognized that

the tsunami

instruments and

Bulletins

prevented loss of

life in Hawai'i;

correctly named

and described 2

Bulletins.

Recognized that the

tsunami

instruments and

Bulletins prevented

loss of life in

Hawai'i; correctly

named and

described 1

Bulletin.

Recognized

that the

tsunami

instruments

and Bulletins

prevented loss

of life in

Hawai'i.

Writing Skills

Contains 0-1

spelling,

grammar,

capitalization,

punctuation

errors.

Contains 2-3

spelling,

grammar,

capitalization,

punctuation

errors.

Contains 4-5

spelling, grammar,

capitalization,

punctuation errors.

Contains 6-7

spelling,

grammar,

capitalization,

punctuation

errors.