Tsunami report from Hawaii

[MTGuru]

The USGS has just upgraded the magnitude of the earthquake to 9.0.

Which means it was approximately 40% more powerful (energetic) than first thought.

Mdelta = 10^(1.5 * (9.0 - 8.9)) = 1.41

[mutepointe]

One of the things that I noticed about the recovery stories is that everyone is concerned about their Grandparents or elderly parents.

[Redwolf]

One of the things that I noticed about the recovery stories is that everyone is concerned about their Grandparents or elderly parents.

I was reading earlier today that many elderly and disabled people had to be left behind in the rush to flee the tsunami. Their families put them on the highest floors of their homes, in the hopes that would be enough, but the wave just rose too high...over the tree tops in some places.

BTW, I just learned that Ken Matsusaka played in a St. Patrick's benefit recently, so he's confirmed to be OK.

Redwolf

[khl]

When I originally posted on the damage in Hawaii, I reported that it was minor. By comparison this is true. But there was some significant damage on some of the Islands--much that came a bit later than the first wave (in some a kind of bounce back effect between the Islands. Here's the report: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/brea ... 65429.html

With reference to Japan, there's this article about the absence of looting: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/7001 ... Japan.html

[dwest]

A number of islands in the Pacific that are homes to numerous (millions of individuals actually) sea birds species were devastated when several islands were completely covered by the tsunami. A rather special 60 year albatross and her chick survived although the chick was washed from the nest. Unfortunately most of the petrels nest in burrows.

[MTGuru]

Sobering before/after photos.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/japan ... eafter.htm

[Denny]

Much like the NY Times link that Peter posted a couple of days ago. (what's been updated with some new ones from yesterday)

A bunch of satellite images before/after the tsunami.

Sobering stuff.

I can see 'em but the mind doesn't track well.

[Nanohedron]

A number of islands in the Pacific that are homes to numerous (millions of individuals actually) sea birds species were devastated when several islands were completely covered by the tsunami. A rather special 60 year albatross and her chick survived although the chick was washed from the nest. Unfortunately most of the petrels nest in burrows.

It reminds me: I wonder how the human islanders have fared.

[Redwolf]

Here's an article on the damage done to the small craft harbor here in Santa Cruz:

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_17623633

Very, very small potatoes compared to Japan, but I find it intriguing that this quake had such an impact on a place 5,000 miles from its epicenter.

Redwolf

[I.D.10-t]

a place 5,000 miles from its epicenter.

What speed did the wave travel?

[maki]

a place 5,000 miles from its epicenter.

What speed did the wave travel?

The Speed of a Tsunami:
A tsunami can travel at well over 970 kph (600 mph) in the open ocean - as fast as a jet flies. It can take only a few hours for a tsunami to travel across an entire ocean. A regular wave (generated by the wind) travels at up to about 90 km/hr.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/tsunami/

[mukade]

We had a 6.4 right under our feet a few days ago.

There have been a few knock on quakes from that massive temblor.
It looks like they are getting some control over the Fukushima reactors, although TEPCO just announced that it was a 14m wave that hit the plant after he quake.

This a Japanese Coast Guard ship riding over the first wave as it heads to the shore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fqyOpqnJyw

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the resilience of the Japanese people, especially the older generation.
They just get on with things. My mother-in-law was back in bed 10mins after we had the 6.4!

We still have less food in the supermarkets and, although they have been canceled for the past few days, we may still have scheduled power cuts. It is a small inconvenience compared to the freezing conditions up in Tohoku this week.

This old man's face and words have been all over the TV.
He is probably more respected than any of the politicians.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zeroCZSrjo

The interviewer asks him if he is OK and he says, 'I'm fine. I got through the Chile Tsunami. I'm fine. Let's just rebuild again.'
A tsunami in 1960 washed away places on the same coastline.
This man has seen it twice and still has a smile and words of support for the people around him.

[Denny]

I've spent some time on the water...

This a Japanese Coast Guard ship riding over the first wave as it heads to the shore.

That was a great place to shoot from!

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the resilience of the Japanese people, especially the older generation.
They just get on with things.

I always saw that as one of their great strengths as a culture.

[Redwolf]

I finally found out why there was so much disproportionate panic in Watsonville, CA (a city on the southern end of Santa Cruz County). We couldn't figure it out at first: while people in Santa Cruz calmly evacuated only the beach areas, people in Watsonville absolutely panicked, yanked their kids out of school, loaded up their cars and started to head up the mountains.

Turns out a Telemundo reporter had mistakenly reported the tsunami wave expected to hit California as being 7 meters tall, rather than .07 meters.

Redwolf

[Nanohedron]

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the resilience of the Japanese people, especially the older generation.
They just get on with things.

I always saw that as one of their great strengths as a culture.

Yeah, it's called gaman. Not easy to translate succinctly, but "resilience" is as good as it gets if you need to wrap it up in one word. It's a highly-regarded behavioral trait, and the Japanese consider it important enough to think of it as a signature element in their national character.

Just talked to a Japanese who had been on the tarmac at Narita when the quakes hit. He was confined to the plane for about 7 hours until they could take off, but as he emphasized, "They gave us beer and food." Now that would seem like nothing worth mentioning to us, never mind emphasis, but that's another thing about gaman: the making lemonade from lemons thing comes into the equation, too. Even if only beer and food get you there, there you have it.

On further questioning, turns out that he wasn't all that concerned about the quake at the time because, as far as he knew, it was just another day in the life of Japan. He didn't know about this quake's scope, nor did he know about the tsunami, until he hit New York. It was nigh impossible to detect any shellshock in him, and he was all smiles, warmth, and composure in conversation. That's gaman for you: it's not merely the product of fatalism, and it's definitely not an absence of emotional involvement; behaviorally it's an overriding of the tendency to chaos. You can't see clearly or function well for yourself and others when you're freaking out. Indulging more than briefly in personal drama is considered highly neurotic and dysfunctional even in cases like that.