Mega Tsunami - Wave of Destruction

Discovery Channel explores the truly devastating and destructive potential of Mega Tsunamis, and the most likely place the next one will occur on earth. These are much bigger than the types of giant waves created from the strongest earthquakes, and can reach over 500 meters (1,650 feet ) high.

This is a fascinating and terrifying look at the inner workings of a particular volcano, and the reasons why it has the potential to cause a huge mega wave that could end up being the biggest natural disaster ever witnessed in recorded history. And the answers might surprise you! Will this happen in our lifetimes? Watch and find out your chances! More discussion after some people see this, since I do not want to spoil the show, so to speak.

A quick tip: if you open each part in a new tab and quickly stop playback, (starting with the last one first), they will preload as you are viewing the first one, making for a more seamless transition between parts- just switch tabs and hit play. Or you could find it on google video or somewhere I guess. A search here at ATS under this title did not yield any results for this exact video. Enjoy!

Part 1


Part 2


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Part 5

thanks that was an interesting documental

lets hope this dosnt happen in the next 70 years

i watched this when it aired on the disc. network. it's a amazing look at what can and does go "wrong."

i cant wait to watch it again.
thanks for the link OP.

cheers,
AA

Yeppers, you're welcome.

It could be 70, could be a 1000, or could be tomorrow. The critical issue is how intact a collapse would remain or split into smaller collapses. If it all goes at once, it's going to spell trouble the likes of which have not been witnessed before. Could you imagine filming that sucka from the air, like from a helicopter or something? Has anyone ever speculated on the wind effects created from such a monster as it travels at between 500 to 700 miles per hour? It might not even be safe to fly near the thing!

Another kind of ocean wave is known as a freak wave. These kinds of waves strike at random, and have been known to incapacitate ships.

news.bbc.co.uk...

Freak wave 'hot spots' identified

Scientists in the US have made a major advance in their understanding of so-called freak waves.

These monster waves present a major risk to ships and offshore platforms.

A computer simulation developed by oceanographers in the US could help locate where and when these "rogue" phenomena are most likely to occur.

The theoretical study shows that coastal areas with variations in water depth and strong currents are hot spots for freak waves.

The history of seafaring is littered with tales of rogue waves capable of rending ships asunder.

A freak wave is one that measures roughly three times higher than other swells on the sea at any one time. These phenomena can measure up to 18m (60ft) - the height of a six-storey building.

The new computer simulation was developed by Tim Janssen of San Francisco State University (SFSU) and Thomas HC Herbers of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Their findings are published in the Journal of Physical Oceanography.

Focal zone

Sandbanks and strong currents may cause waves to change direction and speed. This concentrates wave energy into a single point, which oceanographers call a "wave focal zone".

This zone is like a burning glass, Dr Janssen explained, where the light comes in and focuses all the energy on a single point, forming a hot spot.

The same happens when a wave travels over, for example, a sandbank, or over a current. The energy is being focused on to a single point.
Oil platform (Getty)
The research could help inform the design of offshore platforms

The researchers found these hot spots were much more likely to drive the formation of extreme waves.

"In a normal wave field, on average, roughly three waves in every 10,000 are extreme waves," Dr Janssen explained.

"In a focal zone, this number could increase to about three in every 1,000 waves."

The scientists fed data on real waves into their computer model. Then, they repeated a single experiment over and over, each time using different data.

The SFSU oceanographer said he next hoped to go to known freak wave hotspots such as the Cortez Banks on the coast of California to test whether his simulations held true.

"What's really important about this research, is that it is easy to validate. We have a theory now, a prediction, and we can go to areas and actually measure whether this happens or not," he told BBC News.

More at link.

While not anywhere near a potential mega tsunami in either height or water volume, these waves can still be very dangerous.

Here is a video of one and what it looks like when the sea rises up, towers above your ship, and proceeds to break through the glass in your bridge:



The BBC did a documentary on these kinds of waves a while back, and hopefully this new research will help to keep people out of harm's way:



Then of course there is the annual Tidal Wave in China which nearly killed a bunch of people in this video:



But nothing compares to the Mega Tsunami- one which also might be caused by an asteroid impact into the ocean at any time.

In 2006:

Russian Scientists Warn Of Asteroid Impact Hazard In 2035

www.spacedaily.com...

Astronomers at Russia's largest observatory said Friday an asteroid now orbiting the sun may strike the Earth in 2035, but that the odds of a catastrophic collision can be estimated only 22 years from now.

"We cannot rule out the possibility of an asteroid, currently orbiting the sun, striking the Earth in 2035," said Sergei Smirnov, spokesman for St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Observatory. "But how much of a threat [this asteroid actually presents] will be impossible to assess until 2028, when it approaches our planet."

Flying in close proximity to the Earth will alter the asteroid's orbit, and scientists believe the extent of that shift will give them a clue as to the likelihood of future impacts, fraught with disastrous consequences for terrestrial life.

"[Celestial] bodies measuring 100 meters across or more are deemed dangerous," Smirnov said. "Such bodies, comparable in size to the Tunguska meteorite [that impacted Siberia in 1908], could cause a disaster on a regional scale in the event of an impact."

But the space rock expected to near the Earth in 2028 is about a kilometer in diameter, so if it does strike, our planet will face a continental disaster and major climate change.

"And if the asteroid falls into an ocean, the disaster could assume global proportions," warned Smirnov.

I dunno what my fascination with waves is lately. Maybe because I was nearly killed (drowned) by some off the Costa Rican coast back when I was a teenager.