Japan hit by 4-inch tsunami

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake pummeled northern Japan early today sending shockwaves through the country. Immediately following the earthquake a tsunami warning was issued for the country.

But agency official Masahiro Yamamoto later told a televised news conference that the agency had lifted its warning, saying it had detected a 4-inch tsunami and expected only small changes in the ocean's surface.

The quake was centered off Hokkaido's east coast, about 550 miles northwest of Tokyo, 30 miles below the sea surface. The rocking was felt throughout northern Japan, including Hokkaido's largest city, Sapporo, and Kushiro, on the island's eastern shore.

The initial tremor was followed by a 4.6-magnitude aftershock about a half hour later.

Yahoo Breaking

Tsunamis are no laughing matter. The situation could have been far worse. These tsunamis that are ravaging are coast lines may be getting more frequent. Whatever the case, it was a powerful earthquake indeed.

Originally posted by Jamuhn
But agency official Masahiro Yamamoto later told a televised news conference that the agency had lifted its warning, saying it had detected a 4-inch tsunami and expected only small changes in the ocean's surface.

Four inches? Seems a little below average to me? Perhaps there was an error in measurement?

Big Surf Monkeys, not just for Endless Summers anymore...

The tsunami may have been below average, but if there were people lying on the beach it could have been a disastrous situation. Thankfully, there was a tsunami alert, and the beachgoers were able to stand upright at the least.

Ha, Ha, Ha.....You guys are making me laugh!! Sorry!!

I know some uncouth individuals who can generate larger tsunamis farting in the bathtub.

Double LOL!!!

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
I know some uncouth individuals who can generate larger tsunamis farting in the bathtub.

Godzilla may have been swimming in the ocean that day. Perhaps, I should move this topic to Zoology then.

Oceanography, topography, geology, seismology, climatology, chemistry, iconography, cryptozoology and zoology have all reared their heads and raised the water level by the disclosed measure. You could drown in less than that.

Surely Gamera must also be consulted.

Lol

I'm sorry, but 4 inches ??


PS. No offense, Jamuhn, i always do like your threads.

[edit on 29-11-2004 by dgtempe]

Well, bein's I'm a girl, raised in a man's world, I can see the problem here.


That's about this big isn't it?

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Originally posted by dgtempe
Lol

I'm sorry, but 4 inches ??

[edit on 29-11-2004 by dgtempe]

Hey it's not the size that counts. It's the motion in the ocean.

Ha, Ha, Ha.....You guys are making me laugh!! Sorry!!

lol,lol,lol....this is funny but on a serious note a few years ago in portugals algarve (where i live) there was a tidal wave warning issued mid summer at 2 in the afternoon....laughable you might think,it wasnt (bearing in mind the algarve took a serious battering from a tidal wave 200 years previously) the local police evacuated the beaches,people were running out of restraunts without paying...the local maritime police stated it would hit the western algarve in 20 minutes........it never came it was a total mistake based on a visual sighting that turned out to be a heat haze on the horizon but i saw it through binoculars and it did look like a huge wall of water,the Times newspapers and Daily express ran a story about it....strange but true!

Regards.

Personly Id fire everone involved in that mistaken tital wave.
I mean any who know how tital waves works knows untill the wave hits the contanental shelf the wave is nothing more then a slight hump in the ocean and couldent be seen with the naked eye barly unless you know excatly what to look for.
now as the wave hits shollow water the water starts piling up then it becaumes a tidal wave and depending on how it was oringialy form anyware from well 4 inches lol to comet wave a mile high.
Now what your accutly watching for isent a wave but a land slide a quake a volcanio of a rock from space. Once and where thouse hit then its down to how long and what direction the wave is going.
A great excamply is thous valcanic islands over on the west cost of africa .
A huge chunk of one island started to slide back in the 60des but stoped (lucky for us here in the states)
When it finishes sliding (today tommrow next week next year? a tidle wave will hit the intire east cost of the us . How big I dont know but anything over 6 feet means massive flooding in majyor citys .
Over 10 feet billions in destroction .
Very glade I dont live on the east cost of florida .

I dont smoke cigars and I dont plan to live long enough for retirement, so to heck with Florida. I'd never even miss em.

Originally posted by Simulacra
Hey it's not the size that counts. It's the motion in the ocean.

Place of that counts more, if its 4 inch high in open ocean it can be much higher on shallow water. Tsunami might not even differ from normal waves in open sea.

But if it's 4 inch high on coast, well...
On last year's main event of Finnish astronomical association we got little low pressure front with nice wind (so that it was best to attach tent to ground really well). Waves were between 0.5 - 1 meter and some went to swim.
Boundary between few meters deep and ten meters deep showed well because at that point waves became higher and you could already say which ones would be higher than others. (best waves were propably nearly 1.5m high)

4 INCHES!!!

*Zerinity*