The Ledge - Boxing Day Tsunami Anniversary & Pop Quiz

Merry Christmas & Happy Chanukah to one & all! This time of year always makes me think of pop quizzes, for some reason. So in honor of the tragedy of the Boxing Day tsunami & its one-year anniversary nearly upon us, I have this little quiz to give. I hope that people know more about what to do to save their lives this year than they knew one year ago. (This Monday is the anniversary.)

1. A tsunami is caused by:

a. a waterspout.
b. a large seagoing vessel.
c. a sudden displacement of the water column.
d. global warming & the greenhouse effect.

2. A tsunami is considered a:

a. deep-water wave.
b. short wave.
c. shallow-water wave.
d. microwave.

3. Why do seismologists not use the Richter scale when calculating the magnitude of subduction-zone quakes?

a. Richter scale computation is not well understood among seismologists.
b. Great-magnitude quakes damage Richter scale measurement tools.
c. Intellectual property laws prohibit such use.
d. Richter scale values saturate at higher magnitudes.

4. In deep water, a tsunami's wavelength is:

a. more than twice the water depth.
b. less than one-half the water depth.
c. equal to the water depth.
d. unrelated to the water depth.

5. A ship at sea encountering a tsunami:

a. will founder if it strikes the wave head on.
b. should immediately radio for help.
c. can stay afloat only if it cuts its engines.
d. won't notice a thing.

6. In deep water, the velocity of a tsunami is:

a. a function of surface wind speed.
b. a function of water depth.
c. a function of water temperature.
d. a function of salinity.

7. What causes the drawdown (or withdrawal of the water) of a tsunami at the shoreline?

a. Seiching
b. A leading crest
c. A hailstorm
d. A leading trough

8. If you see the ocean water at the beach withdraw several hundred
feet, you should:

a. call a plumber on your cell phone.
b. call the fire department on your cell phone.
c. catch as many fish as you can.
d. run immediately to higher ground.

9. Tsunami wavelength is:

a. the horizontal distance between successive crests.
b. the vertical distance from trough to crest.
c. the horizontal distance from wave to shore.
d. the frequency of shortwave radio used to issue tsunami bulletins.

10. If the bay empties of water within a matter of minutes, it is probably a sign that:

a. a tsunami has arrived.
b. somebody accidentally pulled the plug.
c. a bad storm is brewing just offshore.
d. the breakwater has been damaged.

11. Tsunami period refers to:

a. a special punctuation mark oceanographers use in their tsunami bulletins.
b. the time it takes for two successive wave crests to pass the same point.
c. the time required for a tsunami to completely inundate a shorefront shopping mall.
d. the span of time between tsunami events on adjacent coasts.

12. A tsunami is:

a. a single humongous wave.
b. a stationary wavefront.
c. a wave train (or series of waves).
d. a desirable surf wave.

13. What is the scientific term for a phenomenon that creates a tsunami?

a. Seismic
b. Tsunamigenic
c. Tsunamimatic
d. Bolidic

14. Tsunamis can occur in:

a. oceans only.
b. oceans, bays, rivers & lakes.
c. oceans & seas only.
d. oceans & rivers only.

15. Which of the following numerical values is necessary to compute the speed of a tsunami?

a. Planck's constant
b. The acceleration of gravity
c. The second law of thermodynamics
d. The third law of thermodynamics

16. Which type of undersea faults are the most efficient generators of tsunamis?

a. Strike-slip faults
b. Ridge faults
c. Transform faults
d. Thrust faults

17. As a tsunami hits a beach, its height is influenced by:

a. the topography.
b. the weather.
c. the time of day.
d. the sun.

18. How many magnitude 9+ great earthquakes have been recorded from 1905 to 2005?

a. Four
b. Eight
c. Twelve
d. Fifteen

19. How many magnitude 9+ great earthquakes since 1905 have generated a tsunami?

a. Eight
b. Six
c. Nine
d. Four

20. "Tsunami" is a Japanese compound word that means:

a. Wave in harbor
b. Mofo
c. Killer wave
d. Surf's up!

21. In which ocean is the frequency of tsunamis greatest?

a. Atlantic
b. Indian
c. Antarctic
d. Pacific

22. Why did many Indonesians, Thais & Sri Lankans die in last December's tsunami?

a. The Lord is a vengeful master & smote the infidel
b. Capitalism
c. Beachgoers investigated the receding sea instead of fleeing inland
d. Too much partying & alcohol consumption

23. What is the greatest tsunami-producing threat off the West Coast of the United States?

a. The Guam island arc
b. The Mariana trench
c. The Sunda trench
d. The Cascadia subduction zone

24. Which classic literary work told of the great earthquake & tsunami in Lisbon in 1755?

a. Voltaire's "Candide"
b. Milton's "Paradise Swamped"
c. Joyce's "Ulysses"
d. Eliot's "The Waste Land"

25. Some tsunamis are:

a. quite friendly.
b. only centimeters tall upon hitting a coastline.
c. caused by the Earth's rotation.
d. a result of U.S. foreign policy.

26. What is the major scientific flaw found in all movie tsunamis?

a. They're too big.
b. They're all single waves.
c. They're too small.
d. They're all destructive.

Good luck! I'll post the answers later.