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Tsunami Data Analysis Worksheet

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Tsunami Data Analysis Worksheet

Study the data and visual, then use evidence to explain what tsunami measurements can—and cannot—tell us about risk. Heights are simplified estimates for this learning activity; actual tsunami heights vary by location and measurement method.

Investigation data

Each row summarizes one notable tsunami or tsunami-related event. Run-up is the maximum height reached by water above sea level on land. The 1958 Lituya Bay event was an unusually high local run-up caused by a landslide entering a narrow bay; it is not directly comparable to an ocean-wide tsunami.

Event | Year | Approx. maximum run-up | Reported impact

Lituya Bay, Alaska | 1958 | 1,720 ft | 5 deaths; localized damage

Valdivia, Chile | 1960 | 82 ft | Destructive Pacific-wide tsunami

Indian Ocean | 2004 | 167 ft | Catastrophic impacts across several countries

Tōhoku, Japan | 2011 | 133 ft | Severe coastal flooding and damage

Note: Values are rounded educational estimates, not a complete measure of each event's effects.

1.Which event in the table has the greatest listed maximum run-up?

Valdivia, Chile
Lituya Bay, Alaska
Indian Ocean
Tōhoku, Japan

2.How many feet greater was the listed run-up at Lituya Bay than at Tōhoku? Show or describe the subtraction.

3.A student says, “The event with the highest run-up must have caused the most deaths.” Is this conclusion supported by the table? Explain using one detail from the data.

4.Which statement best explains why tsunami waves can grow taller as they approach land?

The ocean becomes deeper near shore, speeding the wave up.
The wave slows in shallow water, and water piles up as the wave energy moves shoreward.
The beach creates new water and adds it to the wave.
The wind always pushes the wave higher near the coast.

5.The Lituya Bay run-up was much higher than the other values. Give one reason the worksheet says this number should not be compared directly with the other events.

6.A tsunami can cross a large ocean, even when its waves are relatively low in deep water. Mark true or false and give a brief reason.

TrueFalse

7.Name two kinds of information, other than maximum run-up, that scientists or emergency planners would need to understand a tsunami's effects.

8.You are visiting a coast and feel strong, long-lasting ground shaking. What should you do immediately, and why should you not wait for an official warning?

9.A new coastal event has a measured run-up of 60 feet. Can you use this number alone to predict whether its impacts will be minor or severe? Answer yes or no and support your reasoning.