Tsunami Crisis Creation

[queensgael]

I am working on a tsunami crisis simulation for a foreign policy conference. This tsunami will be caused by an earthquake just below Cuba and has to be massive enough to effect the coastlines of Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia and Venezuela. However, I am a politics major and do not have an extreme understanding of the science of this disaster. My most pressing concern is, is it possible for this tsunami to reach as far as the collection of islands on the east end of the Caribbean? Help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[Enthalpy]

The tsunami originated in Aceh was very destructive in India and Sri Lanka and easily observable without instruments in Africa.

[queensgael]

Yet would a tsunami of that size be possible in the Caribbean sea?

The tsunami originated in Aceh was very destructive in India and Sri Lanka and easily observable without instruments in Africa.

[granpa]

dont you need a subducting plate to generate destructive tsunamis?

[Armada]

I'm no expert either, but I lived in Crescent City, CA - a city whose history is defined, in part, by a massive tsunami that was generated from near Anchorage, AK, that destroyed much of the town in the 60's. Last year the docks were banged up pretty bad by the 2011 earthquake in Japan, the same one that caused the Fukushima crisis. I'm fuzzy on all the details, feel free to look it up yourself.

 

Both earthquakes were farther away from California than Cuba is from the east coast of the Antilles and Central/South America, I think. Not positive. Point being that although Crescent City is notoriously susceptible to tsunami's, it seems plenty plausible to me that an earthquake near Cuba could effect the countries you mentioned. Then again, I don't know how severe an "effect on the coast" you're thinking of.

 

Again, no expert. Just someone who lived in a freakishly tsunami prone town.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited July 7, 2012 by Armada

[CaptainPanic]

I would guess that because of the distance, the wave would be a lot smaller. Also, many islands in the Caribbean are volcanic, which means they're actually quite high. The area that would be affected is perhaps not so great?? If this is important, you might want to look at a detailed map of those islands, and see if they have towns/cities in low-lying areas near their west coasts.

 

!

Moderator Note

2 posts merged into this thread: mine and Armada's. There was another thread in our homework section with exactly the same opening post. It slipped through our moderator nets thus far.

 

To avoid confusion, let's keep the whole discussion in 1 single thread.