Tsunami devastates Pacific

**Templar Knight** · 12-26-2004, 20:50

Its up to 11,500 now

**Hosakawa Tito** · 12-26-2004, 23:36

Here's a news blurb that is especially poignant. How many lives may have been saved.....

Warning system studied
Scientists said the catastrophic death toll across the region might have been reduced if India and Sri Lanka had been part of an international warning system designed to advise coastal communities that a potentially killer wave was approaching. The system relies on a network of earthquake seismic sensors and tidal gauges attached to buoys in the oceans.

From this article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6754820/?GT1=5936

**nokhor** · 12-26-2004, 23:54

in a way related, but not exactly what hosokawa is talking about,

there is a tendency among people when these surprise acts of mass destruction occur to blame somebody, usually someone in gov't. you can't get retribution from an earthquake or volcanic eruption, but if there is a human being who has jurisdiction for this in some kind of bureaucracy, then its automatically their fault due to negligence. i just find it doubly sad, that we need someone to blame. something isn't good enough.

**Hosakawa Tito** · 12-27-2004, 00:04

Considering this region suffers tsunamis quite regularly I would hope that the UN in conjunction with the governments from this area would be motivated to take action and join this international warning system.

**Lemur** · 12-27-2004, 00:57

There is already a monitoring system for tsunamis in the Pacific, just none in that region. I guess nobody wanted to foot the bill.

Oh, and a boat near shore is toast. Tsunamis are very small until they encounter the drag near shore -- they can literally be nothing but a centimeter or two in deep water. I don't really understand how that works, and I'd probably need some time in a fluid dynamics course to "get" it.

On a more personal note, my brother is vacationing in Thailand right now. Haven't hear from him yet, which isn't entirely surprising. With, what, 12,000+ people dead and the infrastructure devastated, it might be a while before one guy with a phone card can get word out. But I'll be a happy lemur when I hear his voice.

Wish me luck. This would be a sucky Christmas to lose a bro.

**Ronin** · 12-27-2004, 01:20

Originally Posted by Lemurmania

There is already a monitoring system for tsunamis in the Pacific, just none in that region. I guess nobody wanted to foot the bill.

Oh, and a boat near shore is toast. Tsunamis are very small until they encounter the drag near shore -- they can literally be nothing but a centimeter or two in deep water. I don't really understand how that works, and I'd probably need some time in a fluid dynamics course to "get" it.

On a more personal note, my brother is vacationing in Thailand right now. Haven't hear from him yet, which isn't entirely surprising. With, what, 12,000+ people dead and the infrastructure devastated, it might be a while before one guy with a phone card can get word out. But I'll be a happy lemur when I hear his voice.

Wish me luck. This would be a sucky Christmas to lose a bro.

hope you hear from your brother soon man.....my best wishes.

**bmolsson** · 12-27-2004, 03:04

Indonesia is pretty shaken. About 5,000 dead and counting here in Northern Sumatra only. No problem down at the populated areas here on Java though.....