Tsunami of the North Atlantic Ocean

Susan Riggins, California State Unviersity, Chico
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Summary

In this assignment students plot the tectonic setting, major cities, and economic centers of the Atlantic Ocean. They consider tsunami triggers and whether they are relevant. Students are presented with three potential tsunami events and calculate travel times to the major cities and ports.

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Learning Goals

Content/concepts goals
Identify cities and geologic features on a map. Calculate tsunami travel times.

Higher order thinking skills goals
Critically evaluate geologic hazards for events that have not yet occurred.

Other skills goals

Context for Use

Type and level of course
Undergraduate upper division general education class on Geologic Hazards

Skills and concepts students should have mastered
Students need a background in general plate tectonics and need to have discussed or read about tsunami triggers.

How the activity is situated in the course
Stand-alone exercise

Description and Teaching Materials

This assignment uses one Word file. File Description: In this assignment students plot the tectonic setting, major cities, and economic centers of the Atlantic Ocean. They consider tsunami triggers and whether they are relevant. Finally, students are presented with three potential tsunami events and calculate travel times to the major cities and ports. The exercise ends with some thought questions about which city/port would be most impacted after the events and asks a critical thinking question about how DART resources are implemented.
Tsunami of the North Atlantic Ocean (Microsoft Word 201kB May5 15)



Teaching Notes and Tips


Assessment

This assignment is graded with a key.

References and Resources