Friday, March 18, 2011

Monster Island News: Is Legendary Pictures About To Hand GODZILLA Over ...

Monster Island News: Is Legendary Pictures About To Hand GODZILLA Over ...: "Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: Bloody Disgusting The recent tragedy in Japan has forced Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures to rethink two o..."

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Amateur video footage of a tsunami after the Japan earthquake event

I once had to give an oral presentation on tidal waves and tidal bores while in the U.S. Navy so I've had a fairly good grasp of the origins and mechanisms of these kinds of waves, aka by the Japanese word "tsunami", a word which seems more appropriate since "tidal wave" is something of a misnomer as these kinds of waves have nothing to do with the Earth's tides.

The force which often powers these destructive waves is the vertical displacement of the sea bottom and that's exactly what happened with the March 10 Japan earthquake. A long stretch of ocean bottom displaced, the energy from this displacement causing extremely long waves that slow down and pile up in height as they reach shorelines and then blast ashore, rolling forward and obliterating everything in front of them.

Though technology has come a long way in predicting the heights of predicted tsunamis and where they might strike the proximity of the sub sea earthquake off the coast of Sendai, Japan resulted in these waves, which can travel at speeds exceeding 500 MPH across the ocean's surface, reaching Japan's shorelines very quickly.

This amateur video footage is a grim reminder of the destructive power of these waves: Amateur video footage of tsunami

I hope that scientists and oceanographers can use this and other footage, as well as the earthquake event itself, to further enhance their tsunami warning capabilities.

Having watched this and other tsunami footage from this earthquake event, I was, despite my understanding and knowledge of tsunamis, absolutely appalled and greatly saddened at the horrific destruction and loss of human life these waves have caused.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Japan earthquake

Yesterday a powerful earthquake, one of the strongest in recorded history, struck off the coast of Sendai, Japan.The earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami(tidal wave) which has destroyed homes, commercial buildings, local maritime ships and boats and also vehicles in Sendai and outlying areas. The loss of life is projected to exceed ten thousand people as rescue efforts begin and all while strong aftershocks continue to plague this country. Thousands of people have seen their homes destroyed and are without power, access to water and basic sanitation. Relief organizations around the world are mobilizing their manpower and other resources in order to prepare aid for Japan. Donations can be made to various charities which have set up accounts whose donations will go towards relief efforts for this disaster. Anyone wanting to make a charitable donation of $ may do so by clicking the title of this blog, "Japan earthquake", or by clicking this link: Japan earthquake relief organizations

The link provides a list of aid and relief organizations currently receiving donations for the Japanese earthquake disaster. Anyone reading this blog post may also make a donation simply by clicking the widget on the right side of the blog page.

Please donate if you can!