Read the article below then write a one paragraph (5 sentences) reaction.
Due Sunday by 11am.
December 29, 2004
Could New York be next?
The earthquake that ravaged coastline communities surrounding the Indian Ocean has reawakened a debate over the possibility that a tsunami could hit New York.
Earlier this year, geologists at a research institute in London warned that an unstable, 200-square-mile chunk of a volcano in the Canary Islands could slide into the Atlantic Ocean, causing a tsunami to slam into the mid-Atlantic coast. The paper, written by a pair of marine geologists at the Benfield Hazard Research Centre, Steve Ward and Simon Day, posited a worst-case scenario of 60-foot waves submerging parts of the East Coast.
In August, when scientists met at a conference to discuss such global geophysical events, known as "Gee Gees," writers joked that such a disaster could turn Cleveland into a bustling coastal town.
This week's deadly tsunami has given that scenario - and others like it - serious consideration.
It is doubtful Manhattan would bear the brunt of six-story waves, given the protective lee of Long Island, and new tsunami modeling that suggests the Canary Island scenario to be overwrought. Nevertheless, mass flooding from hurricanes, contaminated water, and evacuation pandemonium in a city of 8 million people and a multiplicity of languages are ever-present concerns facing local emergency management officials.
A marine geologist, Laura Kong, who is the director of the United Nations tsunami program in Honolulu, said most in the field challenged the alacrity with which the worst-case scenario was presented to the public.
While it is true that at some point the chunks will fall into the ocean - that is expected to be triggered by an earthquake in the next 10,000 years - the power of an ensuing tsunami has been overstated, Ms. Kong said.
"In what we have seen in the models that are much more sophisticated," she said, "the simple answer is the sizes of probable chunks that would slide from a volcano in the Canary Islands are too small to generate a large enough wave that would create a tsunami that would hit New York."
By contrast, the earthquake that hit deep beneath the Indian Ocean Sunday ripped a 500-mile gash along the sea floor, displacing water that spanned 3,000 miles from Malaysia in Asia to Somalia in Africa.
"Using that analogy, you would need a rupture or some material that is on the order of 1,000 miles to displace that much water to generate enough energy to go across the Atlantic," Ms. Kong said. "A 200-square-mile chunk of land couldn't displace enough water."
Other giant tsunami scenarios, involving fissures in the slopes along the Eastern Seaboard or a huge collapse of sediment, were also unlikely to cause giant tsunamis, Ms. Kong said.
Undersea earthquakes, while unlikely, could cause mass hurricane like flooding in New York, according to a visiting marine geologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass., Peter Clift.
"You wouldn't get the shock of a big wave but you would get flooding," Mr. Clift said. "I think it would be very expensive, but I don't think many people would get killed. It would be bad if you are an insurance company."
In the event of a tsunami here, Mr. Clift, who is a visiting professor from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, suggested hunkering down with a few tins of baked beans for a couple of days and viewing the flood from the comfort of a high-rise apartment.
"If they are properly built they should stand," Mr. Clift said. "We're not talking about a wooden hut in Bangladesh.
"People sitting on the beach at Coney Island, on the other hand, would be worse off," he said.
Unlike the communities in south Asia that did not have a system in place to warn of the impending tsunami, the Canary Islands, which are in the Atlantic off the coast of Morocco, are heavily monitored.
9 comments:
this story is so crazy becuse science and tsunamis are so unpredictable . Scientist in londen have said that a 220 - square chunk of a volcano in the canary islands could slide into the atlantic Ocean , causing a tsunami to slam into the mid- atlantic coast . They said that manhattan could be covered in 6 story waves and they said at some point the chunks would fall into the ocean and this would trigger a earthquake in the next 10,000 years . when i am hearing this it sounds so crazy i just hope that nothing happens in 10,000 years or now . All i know is that ny is a very dirty city . There is alot of pollution here so we have to do something to stop this from happening .
I have many reactions to this article. This article is about a warning tsunami that might hit New York. Many people are disbelieving and see many flaws in this ever happening. Laura Kong thinks the chunks of volcanoe that will fall will not be to big enough to cause a massive tsunami. She thinks that a massive earth quake under water is much more probable than that happening. Although there would be flooding there won't be enough. My reaction is nothing for this article because it is tellig me that ther won't be a tsunami and to not be afraid because the chunks of rock that will slide into the water will not be big enough and will only cause an expensive flood that won't kill anyone.
I think that this situation is very sad, and very scary to talk about. Tsunami's are very scary (well to me,) and if a tsunami or earthquake were to happen in New York then that will be very bad. I think it probably won't be as worse as New Orleans, I think that the tsunami won't destroy a lot of things in New York. Maybe it'll only affect a couple of cities or boroughs.
This article made me nervous. It said that there could be a tsunami in New York if a 200-square-mile chunk of a volcano in the Canary Islands slides into the Atlantic Ocean. The piece of the volcano is supposed to fall because of an earthquake in 10,000 years. Laura Kong who is a marine geologist thinks that there will just be flooding and no tsunami because the chunk of volcano isn’t big enough and won’t displace enough water to cause a tsunami in New York. Ms. Kong said that for a tsunami to hit New York that chunk of volcano would have to be 1,000 miles.
This dosn't scare me that much. I have seen things about 'super volcanos' meteors, and A LOT of predictions of great catastophes. For instance the Mayan have predicted WW1, WW2, the American revelution and many other things. Now they predict that the wolr will end on 2012 dec. 21. There is too many things out there like that to make me any more scared.
Overall, I'm not really nervous about a Tsunami hitting New York City right now at this time. The reason why I'm not is because I know it won't be any time soon, and it will probably be in 10,000 years. The bad thing though is that it might hit other countries. Even though I don't live in those other countries, I'm still worried for them. But I'm glad I know that it won't be hitting New York City anytime soon.
I highly doubt us people here in New Yok City are going to experience a 6 story high tsunami wave any time soon. As the article states, we have Long island to potect us and its still in doubt. But considering the fact that it is possible worries me although I doubt it will happen. Not only will everything and everybody here be affected by the natural disaster, but it would cost like ten times more money to repair all the damage here in this city then it would say, kansas or something. But on the bright side, if it does happen it wont be any time soon and it will b a LONNGGGGG time after my existence.
I highly doubt us people here in New Yok City are going to experience a 6 story high tsunami wave any time soon. As the article states, we have Long island to potect us and its still in doubt. But considering the fact that it is possible worries me although I doubt it will happen. Not only will everything and everybody here be affected by the natural disaster, but it would cost like ten times more money to repair all the damage here in this city then it would say, kansas or something. But on the bright side, if it does happen it wont be any time soon and it will b a LONNGGGGG time after my existence.
I think people should do do something to prevent the Tsunami from hitting New York even if it may coast alot. it might not happen soon, but they should plan what they might do later on so that they can get all of us ready for anything that might happen.
This articel makes me sad that something like this is going to happen in New York.
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