continental transform fault that extends 800 miles (1,300 km) through California
to Baja California in Mexico, forming the tectonic boundary between the Pacific
plate and the North American plate. All land west of the fault on the Pacific plate
is moving slowly to the northwest, while all land east of the fault is moving
southwest. The rate of slippage averages about 1.5 inches (38 mm) per year. In
1906 a portion of the fault ruptured near San Francisco; the earthquake
(estimated at 7.8) caused 3,000 deaths, many due to the resulting fires.
TSUNAMIS
Tsunamis are a series of waves created when a body of water is rapidly
displaced, usually by an earthquake. The effects of a tsunami can be devastating
due to the immense volumes of water and energy involved. Specifically,
tsunamis can have a devastating effect on native habitats such as mangrove
forests and coral reefs. Other negative environmental consequences include the
destruction of native species, agricultural crops, and animals and saltwater
intrusion into coastal ecosystems.
A tsunami can be generated when plate boundaries abruptly move and
vertically displace the overlying water. Subduction-zone earthquakes generate
the majority of all tsunamis. Tsunamis formed at divergent plate boundaries are
rare since they do not generally disturb the vertical displacement of the water
column. Tsunamis have a small wave height offshore and a very long
wavelength, and they generally pass unnoticed at sea. Most tsunamis are
generated in the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. In 2004, the Indian Ocean 9.3
earthquake created tsunamis that killed approximately 300,000 people—one of
the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history.
CASE STUDY
FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI: In 2011, northern Japan was hit by a 9.0
magnitude earthquake that triggered a deadly 23-foot tsunami. The giant
waves deluged cities and rural areas alike leaving a path of death and
devastation in its wake. According to the official toll, the earthquake and
resulting tsunami left 15,839 dead and 3,647 missing. In addition, cooling
systems at a nearby nuclear power station, known as the Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Power Plant, failed shortly after the earthquake, causing a nuclear
crisis. The initial nuclear reactor failure was followed by an explosion and