A tsunami is a series of waves that are caused by an unnatural event. Scientists blame earthquakes for 90 percents of all tsunamis. Other causes may be landslides or under water volcanoes that erupt. The biggest tsunami in modern history hit South East Asia on December 26, 2004. An earthquake with intensity of 9.4 occurred off the cost of Sumatra, Indonesia. A tsunami formed near the area where the earthquake happened and spread out into all directions. Within a few hours the tsunami hit 11 countries in the region and killed over 250,000 people.
After the killer tsunami of 2004, countries all over the world agreed that they had to make plans to protect themselves from such devastating waves. Some countries like Japan, already had good warning system because they were a land of earthquakes and had been hit by hundreds of tsunamis in the past decades. In 1960, the United Nations created on inter-governmental oceanic commission. It has a warning system in many areas that pass on information to surrounding countries.
After 2004 tsunami, Indonesia started working on a warning system of its own. With the help of the German government a project was developed to deal with the dangerous waves. The new warning system has new computer software that examines how tsunami waves behave. It also shows where an earthquake happens and how powerful it is. In order to save as many lives as possible the system passed on the information to other stations within minutes.
Although about 60 percent of all tsunamis take place in the pacific region, killer waves can also spread across the Atlantic. In January 2007, Canada said that it has observed possible tsunamis areas in the Atlantic Ocean.
MADIHA ASHRAF
Karachi
This is good news, they're so many big quake in the Pacific Ocean these days. most likely over 7 richer caused Tsunami.
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