Explaining the physics of tsunamis to undergraduate and non-physics students

@article{Margaritondo2005ExplainingTP,
  title={Explaining the physics of tsunamis to undergraduate and non-physics students},
  author={Giorgio Margaritondo},
  journal={European Journal of Physics},
  year={2005},
  volume={26},
  pages={401 - 407}
}
After the recent devastating tsunami in southern Asia, I tried to find a simple way to present the physics of this phenomenon to students—in particular, the origin of the dispersion relation and the consequent wave properties. Being unable to locate a suitable source for a truly elementary approach, I developed the simple derivation presented here by extending to shallow-water waves a clever capillary wave model recently developed by Behroozi and Podolefsky (2001 Eur. J. Phys. 23 225). The main… 
View on IOP Publishing
geosci.usyd.edu.au
17 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
1
Background Citations
6
Methods Citations
2

17 Citations

Understanding the tsunami with a simple model

In this paper, we use the approximation of shallow water waves (Margaritondo G 2005 Eur. J. Phys. 26 401) to understand the behaviour of a tsunami in a variable depth. We deduce the shallow water…

Alternative tsunami models

The interesting papers by Margaritondo (2005 Eur. J. Phys. 26 401) and by Helene and Yamashita (2006 Eur. J. Phys. 27 855) analysed the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 using a simple…

Introduction to the Physics of Waves

TLDR
This textbook introduces the physics of wave phenomena in a refreshingly approachable way, making it ideal for first- and second-year undergraduate students in the physical sciences.

Hydrodynamics and loadings of tsunami waves with different fluid characteristics: Newtonian & non-Newtonian

Tsunamis are impulsively generated waves which may severely damage structures within the coastal zones. Damage may occur to protective structures, port and waterfront facilities, and commercial and…

Tsunami: a history of the term and of scientific understanding of the phenomenon in Japanese and Western culture

TLDR
This book uses Japanese and Western sources to document historical tsunami in Europe and Japan, the birth of the scientific understanding of tsunami, and how the Japanese term came to be adopted in English.

Comments on ‘Explaining the physics of tsunamis to undergraduate and non-physics students’

We make remarks on the paper by Margaritondo (2005 Eur. J. Phys. 26 401).

Tsunami Propagation Models Based on First Principles

Abstract : Tsunamis are ocean waves generated by the displacement of a large volume of water due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides or other causes above or below the ocean floor (e.g.,…

The Physics of Tsunami: Basic understanding of the Indian Ocean disaster

This study gives a simple physics explanation behind the Indian Ocean earthquake, called December 26 th 's Tsunami. The explanation based on physics energy conservation and wave properties have been…

A HISTORY OF THE TERM AND OF SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHENOMENON IN JAPANESE AND WESTERN CULTURE by

In the past few years we have unfortunately had several reminders of the ability of a particular type of ocean wave—a tsunami—to devastate coastal areas. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, in…

The Physics of Tsunami: Basic understanding of the Indian Ocean disaster

TLDR
This study gives a simple physics explanation behind the Indian Ocean earthquake, called December 26th‘s Tsunami, based on physics energy conservation and wave properties.

References

SHOWING 1-2 OF 2 REFERENCES

Dispersion of capillary-gravity waves: a derivation based on conservation of energy

Waves on fluids provide an excellent context for introducing some important topics in fluid dynamics. In this paper we first discuss the behaviour of standing surface waves and present their special…

A simple solution of the twin paradox also shows anomalous behaviour of rigidly connected distant clocks

Although it has even been experimentally confirmed that the twin who travels away and comes back will age less, a conceptually very convincing theoretical treatment of the problem is still awaited.…