Maggie McKelvy
November 2, 2014
Earth Science C Odd
Current Event Quarter 1
Geggel, Laura. "500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii
Tsunami Discovered." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 21 Oct. 2014.
Web. 02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/48362-massive-historical-hawaii-tsunami.html>.
The article I read, “500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii
Tsunami Discovered” by Laura Geggel, described the results of a recent study
that points to evidence of a “mammoth tsunami” that hit Hawaii sometime between
1425 and 1665. In the Makauwahi
sinkhole, located on the island of Kauai, researchers found a plethora of old
oceanic debris. The sinkhole, which is a collapsed limestone cave, is a 328
feet away from the present day shore and 23 feet above sea level. Experts have
deduced that the most likely cause for the debris in the sinkhole is a giant
tsunami, caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which carried it there. Using
the Japanese tsunami from the Tokohu earthquake in 2011 as a hypothetical model,
seismologists (scientists who study earthquakes) have assessed how a tsunami
could have dumped coral and shell debris into a sinkhole so far away from the
shore. Geologists researching the event have also found marine debris on the west
coast of Alaska, Canada, and the United States from the same time period as the
debris from Hawaii, leading researchers to believe that the same giant tsunami
could have hit all four places. After releasing this study, experts have begun
to encourage Hawaiian officials to modify their current tsunami evacuation
protocol.
This new study has implications for people living in Hawaii
and those who design tsunami evacuation procedures. The tsunami described in
the study would have been three times the size of the devastating 1946 tsunami,
which was caused by an 8.6 magnitude earthquake. Although there is only a 0.1%
chance each year that a mammoth tsunami will occur in Hawaii, officials will
need to change their evacuation maps to cover nearly double the current area in
certain places to account for the risk of a giant tsunami. The new maps will
affect nearly 1 million people in Honolulu County.
I think this article did a good job overall of explaining
the study and the effects it has regarding the people of Hawaii. I wish the
article would have gone into more detail about how the study was carried out
and explained any other evidence pointing to a mammoth tsunami as the reason
for the marine debris in the sinkhole. An explanation of the effects of the
1946 and 2011 tsunamis would have also been helpful in understanding the ways
in which tsunamis affect the places they hit.
I found Maggie’s review of the article, “500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii Tsunami Discovered,” very compelling and informative. I had not known that Earthquakes could cause Tsunamis, so the idea that this 500-year-old tsunami was caused by an earthquake was interesting to me. This review also taught me that a tsunami could be so catastrophic that it hit four very different locations around the same time because of its size, as I had thought tsunamis were small and could only affect one place at a time. I was also impressed that Hawaii has a 0.1% chance each year of experiencing a mammoth tsunami. I had not known that mammoth tsunamis existed or that they were, while rare, very possible. I now know that this realistically devastating event could really happen. I enjoyed many aspects of Maggie’s writing. One thing I liked was her thorough introduction. She gave the reader a good sense of what the article was about by explaining the sinkhole and the tsunami, using detailed descriptions of size, location, and when events like this had happened before. I also enjoyed her tips on what she would have liked to see in the article. These comments, posed for the author of the article, showed her in-depth understanding and desire to know more about the issue. One thing that I noticed about Maggie’s review was that she first mentioned that the earthquake was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, but later changed it to one with an 8.6 magnitude. This was not a big change, but it confused me for a second and I would have preferred for all the information to be constant. Overall, I enjoyed this review and thought it’s topic was immensely important to modern Hawaii and the areas around it.
ReplyDeleteMaggie wrote a well-written review of the article, “500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii Tsunami Discovered.” One aspect of the review I liked was how she gave a good description of the sinkhole's location around Hawaii, and also how large it is and how elevated the sinkhole is. A second aspect I liked about her review was how she compared this tsunami to the tsunami in Japan and in 1946. This gave me a good idea of the scale of the tsunami, as I vividly remember the details of the catastrophe in Japan. A third component I thought was well done by Maggie was how she critiqued the author, stating that the article could have better described the study and evidence. An element that could be improved is she could have used a direct quote from one of the Hawaiian officials outlining the new tsunami map coverages. I also think Maggie could have better described the tsunami that hit sometime between 1425 and 1665, as that could have helped me envision the event that caused the sinkhole. The most impressive aspect of this article was the fact that a massive tsunami has a 0.1% chance each year to hit Hawaii. This is significant because although the facts say that the massive tsunami should happen extremely rarely, Hawaiians must take extensive precaution in the case that the tsunami were to hit Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteMaggie’s review of the article “500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii Tsunami Discovered” was really interesting. I am always amazed when I hear about scientists finding out about things like this that happened over hundreds of years ago. I also learned that there is only a 0.1% chance of a tsunami hitting Hawaii. I can’t believe it is that the number is so small considering where Hawaii is located and how far away it is from other land masses. I also found it really interesting how the debris got so far inland.
ReplyDeleteI think Maggie did a really good job of informing the reader and giving them all of the information they need to know. I also think you did an awesome job of keeping the reader hooked throughout the entire review. It made it super easy to read but still educational.
Maggies article was really good and the only thing I really wanted to know more about was how Hawaiians prepared for tsunamis. Overall Maggie did a really awesome job with her current event.
Maggie did a great job on this current event. I found it interesting that just by finding leftover debris scientists were able to determine the severity and timing of the tsunami. Also I was impressed by her to put things in perspective through numbers and comparisons. I was impressed bu this because it is so hard at times to put such a massive events into perspective. I also found it interesting how experts are encouraging Hawaiian officials to change their evacuation procedures, because of one event so long ago. Maggie did a great job setting up the background, which helped me get a lot out of her writing. Also I appreciated how she critiqued the article, and stated what she wanted as a reader. One thing I would have liked to know more of is how the Hawaiians are taking action. Overall, Maggie did a great job and i enjoyed reading her current event.
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