Climatology, Tsunamis, and You...

[Synaptik Gap]

I am currently conducting a study into the possibilities of Tsunamis of certain magnitudes interrupting oceanic currents and therefore influencing global climate. My contacts at the USGS, NOAA, and National Geogrpahic, as well have others have provided invaluable information into this subject. However, I am also interested in any thoughts any of you might have on this topic. Is it possible? Is it plausible? Is vast, global weather not succeptable to such fluctuations in one ocean region? Anything along these lines or whatever else you could add, I would greatly appreciate.

[mezarashi]

It can be possible, however, the natural disturbance must indeed be very very large. Because as far as I understand on the nature of waves is that they transfer energy. While the tsunami is travelling across the ocean, there is little or negligible translation of water. What is actually transferred is actually wave energy and slight water compression at the wave front. The main bulk of the "destructive" action occurs when the propagation reaches its end at the shores of an unfortunate continent. Personally, I would think that you would be better off looking at damages caused to shorelines and such rather than global changes.

[coquina]

Tsunamis can be caused by great undersea landslides as well as by earthquakes. Perhaps, if there was a major disruption of the seafloor, the deep ocean currents might be affected.

 

http://starbulletin.com/2004/09/02/news/story4.html

 

http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/Parks/hawaii/landslide.html

 

I can't find precisely what I'm looking for - I have read that there is a very large shear zone in Hawaii where underground dikes are forming from magma that is being forced into a fault. There is the potential for a very large part of one of the islands to drop into the sea. This would result in a mega-tsunami.

 

I doubt this would affect the earth's climate long-term, unless, as I said in my first statement, the seafloor was modified a great deal - even then, I would guess it would be the climate of Hawaii that would change.

[YT2095]

also, the Gulf Stream, although fragile, would take some severe punishment before disruption.

the scale of that punishment wouldn`t leave much of us left to worry about the climate anyway.

 

IMO.

[crzykllrghst]

I'd have to agree with coquina and say there are only 2 things that could effect currents like that, one and extemly severe deep ocean fualt near or under where the current passes, or the sun

[Xavier]

I have read that there is a very large shear zone in Hawaii where underground dikes are forming from magma that is being forced into a fault. There is the potential for a very large part of one of the islands to drop into the sea. This would result in a mega-tsunami.

 

I think that what you are referring to is the island of Las Palmas, the third largest of the Canary Islands a few hundred miles off the north west coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is made up of two volcanoes with a high ridge of land running north to south between the peaks. I is believed that around a trillion tons of rock, essentially the half of the western side of the ridge could slide into the sea displacing enough water to create a tidal wave that would inundate the eastern seaboard of the USA up to 100 miles inland!

 

Apparently, a Hawaiian volcano collapse did something similar to Australia on a much smaller scale. See this Newsmedianews report

[Ophiolite]

The only relationship I can see between the two is wholly indirect: both are influenced by plate tectonics; one dramatically and immediately, the other subtly and over the long term.

Tsunamis of course are generated by the sudden movement of tectonic plates. Mezarashi's point is critical here: there is practically no transfer of water, only of energy. I also find it difficult to accept that a sea floor movement of the required order of magnitude could occur. The Indian Ocean tsunami involved a displacement of 30ft approximately, even if it had been 300m that in an Ocean more than ten times that depth would be unlikely to have a significant effect. (Though I keep thinking of Amazonian butterflies.)

However, repeated movements of the tectonic plates alter the planetary geography with consequent changes in oceanic circulation. That is the only, non-causative, link I can see between the two.

[atinymonkey]

I am currently conducting a study into the possibilities of Tsunamis of certain magnitudes interrupting oceanic currents and therefore influencing global climate.

 

I dropped a cup in the sink. The ripples of water were a side effect.

[Aardvark]

I am currently conducting a study into the possibilities of Tsunamis of certain magnitudes interrupting oceanic currents and therefore influencing global climate.

 

It sounds like you've been watching to many movies.

[luc]

I think that what you are referring to is the island of Las Palmas' date=' the third largest of the Canary Islands a few hundred miles off the north west coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. The island is made up of two volcanoes with a high ridge of land running north to south between the peaks. I is believed that around a trillion tons of rock, essentially the half of the western side of the ridge could slide into the sea displacing enough water to create a tidal wave that would inundate the eastern seaboard of the USA up to 100 miles inland!

 

Apparently, a Hawaiian volcano collapse did something similar to Australia on a much smaller scale. See this Newsmedianews report

 

It seems something terrific, I wonder what measures can be taken against it. There's some way to stop such a mega-tsunami in its way towards the coast of the USA?. Is there any way to impede the collapse of the cliff in the Canary Islands?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2000/mega_tsunami.shtml

"Although the volcano presents no danger while it is quiescent, scientists believe the western flank will give way completely during some future eruption on the summit of the volcano. In other words, any time in the next few thousand years a huge section of southern La Palma, weighing 500 thousand million tonnes, will fall into the Atlantic ocean.

What will happen when the volcano on La Palma collapses? Scientists predict that it will generate a wave that will be almost inconceivably destructive, far bigger than anything ever witnessed in modern times. It will surge across the entire Atlantic in a matter of hours, engulfing the whole US east coast, sweeping away everything in its path up to 20km inland. Boston would be hit first, followed by New York, then all the way down the coast to Miami and the Caribbean."

[alext87]

How can a tiny tsunami interrupt the whole climate as the amount of water actually moved by the tsunami is small as the water just oscillates up and down with propagation along the wave direction? I very much doubt that such a small global movement of water can have any effect on the global climate.

[pelican]

it cant all i got to say about that

[pelican]

Luc ive thot about ways to impede on that western half cant dynamite ruling out nuclear or any othar explosion (heres my idea ) mount water pipes on the crest of the volcano feed it water control the flow and just cause a slow gradual erosion on both west and east sides it might take awhile but its slow and gradual and that is what others said a little at a time would not cause a catastrophie and the erosion would be gradual and safe and in time the danger would pass but it would have to be watched constanly maybe helicopter support to hoist large chunks so that it wouldnt cause a massive slide