Tsunamis Slap Hawaii, California North Coast

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 11-16-2006 | Audrey McAvoy

[tubebender]

Prof Lori Dengler at HSU has a traveling road show on Quakes and Tsunami that she takes to places like the local fairs. She has converted a fish tank into a demonstration of tidal surge. Because of her we have finally gotten a Tsunami warning system installed.

Twice a year my son has a safety meeting at his business dedicated to evacuation to higher ground in case of a 8. EQ off shore...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

300 years since 1700 means...could happen any day now.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thats good....what is there about the harbor at CC that amplifies the waves from Japan...any thing on that?

[tubebender]

Well thanks Ern...we try not to think about it and along you come and...

[RightWhale]

A few feet? Even Japan got a few inches and they were right there. A few feet is a lot.

[tubebender]

With the Alaska tidal surge I understand that it is the shape of the coast line. When the wave spread south it sucked all the water out of the harbor and on the return it over filled the basin and pushed it up into the low lying areas across the highway

[blam]

"Because of her we have finally gotten a Tsunami warning system installed."

Excellent.

[texas booster]

Help me understand this chart:

Did the tsunami hit during low tide in Crescent City?

What is "MLLW"?

Why the drop in temperature when the tsunami hit?

Thanks in advance!

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Are you talking about this chart?

[texas booster]

Let try the graph again. Works OK in preview.

Here is the location:

http://tidesonline.noaa.gov/temp/9419750_3210328.png

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

That should be the one.

The tsunami does appear to have hit at low tide early on the afternoon of 11/15 (where the really rough water begins).

As far as MLLW is concerned, that is a tidal datum that is the average of all the lower low tides over a 19-year epoch (in a given day, one low tide is usually lower than the other). The water level at Crescent City is measured in relation to Crescent City's MLLW.

The water temperature in the plot did not really drop. The drop was less than one degree and could be natural variation.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

It appears that NOAA doesn't let you hog the ol' bandwidth, so I guess the link will have to do.

[texas booster]

Bummer. And to think that my taxes paid for NOAA's bandwidth. In fact, that very electron! Harrumph!

Mean Lower Low Water level?

No wonder I hate all acronymns that I don't make up.