I sail in 6 foot waves plenty. so my question is this..... If the report is true, how can a 6 fot wave cause such destruction?
2006-07-18 08:18:46 · 10 answers · asked by dread pirate lavenderbeard 4 in News & Events ➔ Other - News & Events
It was six feet tall when it reached the shore. The waves you are referring to were probably six feet tall in the water and crest over long before they reach the shore. A six foot wave hitting the shore is a tremendous amount of water and would have a lot of energy pushing it.
2006-07-18 08:22:23 · answer #1 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A tsunami is much different from the waves most people think of as lapping against the shore. First of all... even though they may not be very tall (in fact a ship at sea probably would not even notice one pass).. they contain a LOT of water.. they can have a wavelength (crest to crest) of several miles... how much water to you think is in a wave that is 6 miles wide and 6 feet tall?... rushing toward land at 400 miles per hour...
When this 6 foot wave hits land... it rises up out of the ocean.. because the first part is slowed down.. and the water behind it catches up...
depending upon the shape of the shore that it strikes... it can rise up relatively slow.. or seemingly leap out of the ocean.
the Speed and the Volume of water... momentum... does massive damage... besides.. it all has to wash back into the ocean too..
note: the ocean will seem to recede from the shore before the Tsunami strikes... because the "negative" part of the wave.... that part that is actually below sea level.
2006-07-18 08:29:29 · answer #2 · answered by ♥Tom♥ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because even though it is only 6 feet the mainland is only 1-3 feet above sea level and the amount of water weight that is crashing onto shore from that 6-foot wave is incredible. Have you ever been swimming and been hit by a 6-foot wave?
2006-07-18 08:22:41 · answer #3 · answered by kill_dog1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sailing in 6 foot waves is one thing. Having 6 feet of water come rushing inland is quite another. Imagine if all of the sudden 6 feet of water came rushing into your town. Don't you think that there would be a lot of death and destruction? Imagine the power of 6 feet of water. Measure up 6 feet on the outside of your house. Wouldn't your vehicle be submerged? Think about it.
2006-07-18 15:04:40 · answer #4 · answered by celticwoman777 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because like the one which struck Indonesia - the energy in the swell of a 6 feet high wave which is a Tsunami - is much more than a hundred Hydorgen bombs ...
2006-07-18 08:24:23 · answer #5 · answered by DemonInLove 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its because it is a very long wave, there is a lot of water behind the wave front, and it all washes in. An ordinary 6 ft. wave might be lets say 18 ft. from front trough to back trough, but a tsunami could be a half mile from front to back, and all that water is going to wash in.
2006-07-18 08:22:47 · answer #6 · answered by jxt299 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's what they are saying. I think it has to do with the amount of water in the wave, not just the height. I guess the sea actually goes way out before the wave comes in.
2006-07-18 08:22:59 · answer #7 · answered by Jeep Driver 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a tsunami keeps going, and goig and going ...so a 6 foot wave that extends for a mile could cause some real damage
2006-07-18 08:23:28 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it was probably very fast. the last tsunami was going at around 500 km(discovery channel) lol. so i guess thats how it caused the destruction even though it was 6 ft
2006-07-18 08:23:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was six feet tall when it reached the shore, rather than when it was out at sea, and it was being powered by more water behind it.
2006-07-18 08:39:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋