earth science regents（地球科学评议）（13页）.docVIP

The Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami December 26, 2004 ?2004 by Dave Robison and Steve Kluge (thanks also to Bryce Hand and Michael Hubenthal) Introduction: The incredible damage and tragic loss of life resulting from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami was shocking and almost beyond belief. The event marked the most devastating natural disaster to hit the world in the last century. While earthquakes are somewhat unpredictable, and always beyond our control, earthquake related tsunamis can be measured and predicted in time to provide some warning to residents of susceptible coastal areas, and shoreline structures can be built to withstand the force of a tsunami. And there are natural warning signs of impending tsunamis, too, that properly understood and heeded can give individuals along the shore time to get to higher ground. Unfortunately for the tens of thousands of victims of the tsunami, a warning system did not exist in the Indian Ocean Basin, most shoreline structures were not built to reduce the destruction from the force of a tsunami, and many people on the shores did not recognize or understand the warnings nature provided. We will learn from this tragedy, and hopefully work to provide better warning systems, better construction, and better natural disaster preparedness education in the future. In this lab you’ll study seismograms from 3 different seismic stations recording the magnitude 9.0 Sumatra earthquake of December 26th, 2004. By comparing the arrival times of the P and S waves on each seismogram, you’ll be able to determine the distance from the epicenter to each station. Using that data, you can accurately map the location of the epicenter of the earthquake. Once you’ve located the epicenter, you’ll calculate the position of the tsunami generated by the quake at one hour intervals. From those determinations, you will be able to predict how much time people had before the tsunami crashed onto their shores. Finally, you will inve