natural disasters

1. By Emily Lam

2. Tsunamis (say: soo-NAH-mees) are a series of waves that send
surges of water sometimes reaching 30.5 metres high. Some
people think it’s so bad they call it the killer wave. ‘Tsu’ in
Japanese means harbour and ‘nami’ means wave so if you put
them together they make harbour wave. Tsunamis are caused
by large undersea earthquakes either near or at the tectonic
plate boundary. When the plate rises or falls suddenly, it
takes water above it creating rolling waves that causes
tsunamis. Sometimes they are also caused by landslides and
volcanoes.

3. This animation shows you what our planet looked like millions of
years ago and what it looks like

4. A volcano is a mountain with an opening at the top.
Just below the surface of the earth is a pool of
molten rock. When the plates under the volcano
moves it causes friction between the plate and the
rock which makes the rock and gases shoot up
forming lava. An erupting volcano can cause
tsunamis, flash flood, earthquake, mudflows and
rock falls.
Active volcanoes on Earth 1500
Active volcanoes under sea 80
Dormant volcanoes on Earth 9
Dormant volcanoes in space 10 and more
Extinct volcanoes on Earth 5000

5. Hurricanes are a storm made of strong winds. Each and
every hurricane lasts up to a week moving 10-20
miles an hour over ocean. Hurricanes gather heat
and energy through contact with warm water. But
watch out the evaporation from the sea water
increases their power. Hurricanes rotate in an anti-
clockwise direction around an eye. The centre of the
storm otherwise known as the eye
is the calmest part of the hurricane.

6. Earthquakes are the shaking,
Drought is when it doesn’t rain rolling or sudden shock of
for a long period like for one the earth’s surface. They are
month or more. When it the Earth's natural means of
doesn’t rain, farmers can’t releasing stress. More than
grow crops and the a million earthquakes rattle
government will set up a the world each year.
water restriction. Earthquakes can be felt over
large areas although they
usually last less than one
minute. Earthquakes cannot
be predicted - although
scientists are working on it!

7. earthquake: A sudden and violent shaking of the
ground
Surges : move in a wave
Dormant volcanoes - a volcano which is presently
inactive but could erupt again.
Evaporation: a process in which something is changed
from a liquid to a vapour without its temperature
reaching boiling point

8. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environm
ent/natural-disasters/tsunami-profile/ 2:51
12/07/11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami 3:10
12/07/11
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-
volcano.htm 4:01 12/07/11
http://www.drought.unl.edu/kids/ 5:17
12/07/11