This scenario-based learning experience tells the story of four main characters at different locations in the Pacific basin who are each impacted by a major tsunami that originates in Alaska?s Aleutian Islands. Over the course of the story, students not only learn about the unfolding events and how each of the characters respond, but also take 14 short lessons on the science, safety, and history of ... Full description.

If one 10 year old girl could save a hundred lives during the 2004 tsunami, think about how many more lives could have been saved if the residents and tourists were more informed about tsunamis. NOAA has collected these educational resources on tsunamis for use in K-12 classrooms. These brochures, websites, hands-on activities, and visualizations can supplement an existing curricula. A tsunameter ... Full description.

This module introduces the science of tsunamis: their causes, initiation process, properties, propagation, inundation, and long-term effects. Through new animations, historical images, video, and interactive exercises, learners discover the ways tsunamis interact with and affect the world. The module is intended for Weather Forecast Office staff -- particularly NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologists ... Full description.

On the Pacific Northwest an oceanic tectonic plate (Juan de Fuca) is being pulled and driven (subducted) beneath the North American continental plate. Earthquakes generated along that fault may produce local tsunamis. Local tsunamis are those generated by earthquakes near the coast. This site provides links to external webpages describing the physics behind a tsunami. Resources featured in the links ... Full description.

On December 26th, 2004, an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra shook the Indian Ocean, sending a series of destructive tsunamis toward the coasts of 11 countries that border the ocean basin. In this lesson, students will gain understanding about the nature and causes of tsunamis, confronting this tragedy in a productive and practical way. They will observe a demonstration of wave propagation in a ... Full description.

The Plymouth Wave Lab is a series of movies of waves on a string intended for middle school students. The reference material at the site explains the relationship between the behavior of the string in the six examples and the behavior of a tsunami. The December 26, 2004 tsunami that was generated from the M9.0 Sumatra earthquake has raised public awareness worldwide of the disastrous consequences ... Full description.

This site consists of a series of modules for introductory geology. The site features useful, interactive animations for a large range of geology topics. There are lecture slide shows, quizzes, and interactive computer activities. Content is divided into lecture material and laboratory activities, and covers topics such as rocks and minerals, weathering, soils, geologic time, structural geology, plate ... Full description.

Long before the devastating December 2004 Indian Ocean event, tsunamis had already been implicated in the widespread death and destruction in Java and Sumatra following the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. Tsunamis are also blamed for the collapse of the ancient Minoan civilization on Crete. These waves are capable of overrunning almost any coastline in the world and exacting a serious toll on both property ... Full description.

This site explores the dual faces of Mother Nature in Hawaii by examining four powerful forces (volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes), focusing on the disastrous impacts as well as lessons of hope and renewal. For each type of disaster, there are explanations of making predictions, types of damage, warning systems, emergency preparation, and survival stories. There are volcano and tsunami ... Full description.

This module is an introduction to waves and their associated characteristics. Several types of waves are presented, from the common wind wave to the rare tsunami wave. The basic physical, mathematical, and statistical traits of waves are discussed, along with how they change once waves become swell. This material serves as a building block to subsequent modules on wave generation, propagation, and ... Full description.