Student work sheet:
1. In the plotting utility, enter the date March 11, 2011 with a time of 12:00:00 to 21:00:00. This will allow you to view the tsunami created by the Earthquake in Japan on March 11 at 2:45 pm local time. The change in wave height was detected by a machine called a Bottom Pressure Recorder (BPR). This, along with other machinery, measures the pressure of the water sitting above it. When the wave from the earthquake passed over the sensor, it had a lot more pressure than normal.
2. Still in the plotting utility, select ODP 1027-ODP1026-Cork-uncompensated seafloor pressure from the instrument panel on the left hand side. A graph will be generated.
3. Next, without changing the date, select ODP 889-Bullseye-BPR-uncompensated seafloor pressure. The graph will be generated below the first.
4. Next select Folger passage- Folger Deep-BPR-seafloor pressure, a third graph will be created. Use these graphs to help you answer the questions below.
5. What time did each sensor detect the tsunami (remember to record at the initial upswing, not the peak)? How long between the first sensor ODP 1027 and the sensor nearest the shore Folger Deep?
ODP 1027:ODP 889:
Folger passage:
Time between:
6. If the tsunami left Japan at 05:46:23 UTC and arrived 14:46:00 UTC approximately how long did it take to get to B.C?
7. If an alert had been issued to residents when the first wave was detected, do you think this would be enough time to evacuate?
8. Where would be the best locations to place future BPRs with the intention of using them as an early warning system for Vancouver Island? How many do you think you would need to have a truly effective system? What would you change if you only had enough money to place three? Where would be the best areas to place them?
9. Alter the time series in the plotting utility to October 28th, 2012 with the time 01:52.25 to 07:03:47. This will cause all three graphs to change. After loading, your graphs will show the tsunami created by the Haida Gawii Earthquake on October 27th 2012. Notice the static on the graph about 03:00:00. The earthquake occurred so close to the instrument, it was detected on the graph. How long between the initial detection of the earthquake and the tsunami?
10. Should an evacuation altert be issued at the earthquake or the first detection of the wave? Why?
11. How does the information in the second set of graphs change your choices in question 5?
Student work sheet:
1. In the plotting utility, enter the date March 11, 2011 with a time of 12:00:00 to 21:00:00. This will allow you to view the tsunami created by the Earthquake in Japan on March 11 at 2:45or pm? local time. The change in wave height was detected by a machine called a bottom pressure recorder (BPR). This, along with other machinery, measures the pressure of the water sitting above it. When the wave from the earthquake passed over the sensor, it had a lot more pressure than normal.
2. Still in the plotting utility, select ODP 1027-ODP1026-Cork-uncompensated seafloor pressure. A graph will be generated.
3. Next, without changing the date, select ODP 889-Bullseye-BPR-uncompensated seafloor pressure. The graph will be generated below the first.
4. Next select Folger passage- Folger Deep-BPR-seafloor pressure, a third graph will be created. Use these graphs to help you answer the questions below.
5. What time did each sensor detect the tsunami (remember to record at the initial upswing, not the peak)? How long between the first sensor ODP 1027 and the sensor nearest the shore Folger Deep?
ODP 1027: 14:33:30ODP 889: 14:41:00
Folger passage:15:24.00
Time between: approximately 51 minutes
6. If the tsunami left Japan at 05:46:23 UTC and arrived 14:46:00 UTC approximately how long did it take to get to B.C?
Approximately 9 hours
7. If an alert had been issued to residents when the first wave was detected, do you think this would be enough time to evacuate?
Individual student answers as to why or why not this would be possible.
8. Where would be the best locations to place future BPRs with the intention of using them as an early warning system for Vancouver Island? How many do you think you would need to have a truly effective system? What would you change if you only had enough money to place three? Where would be the best areas to place them?
Individual student answers accepted- key points focusing on needing more than one in series for accurate detection.
9. Alter the time series in the plotting utility to October 28th, 2012 with the time 01:52.25 to 07:03:47. This will cause all three graphs to change. After loading, your graphs will show the tsunami created by the Haida Gawii Earthquake on October 27th 2012. Notice the static on the graph about 03:00:00. The earthquake occurred so close to the instrument, it was detected on the graph. How long between the initial detection of the earthquake and the tsunami?
Earthquake first detected at 03:05:00, tsunami detected at 04:03:00, approximately one hour between detection of earthquake and detection of tsunami.
10. Should an evacuation alter be issued at the earthquake or the first detection of the wave? Why?
Individual student answers accepted
11. How does the information in the second set of graphs change your choices in question 5?
Individual student answers, key points focusing on locating the system so as to be able to detect localized tsunamis as well as those coming across the pacific.
Prepared by Monika Pelz, Ocean Networks Canada 2013