simple essay on tsunami

Essay on Tsunami for Students and Children

500+ words essay on tsunami.

Tsunami is a phenomenon where a series of strong waves that are responsible for the surge in water sometimes reach the heights in many meters. This is a natural disaster that is caused due to the volcano eruption in the ocean beds. Also, a phenomenon like landslides and earthquakes contributes to reasons for a tsunami. Like other natural disasters, the impact of the tsunami is also huge. It has been seen throughout history how disastrous the tsunami is. The essay on tsunami talks about various factors that contribute to the tsunami and the damage it causes to mankind. 

Essay on Tsunami

The disaster that is caused due to waves generated in the ocean because of the earthquake and whose main point is under the water is known as ‘Tsunami’. Also, the term tsunami is associated with tidal waves. Thus, a tsunami is also called as the series of ocean waves that have a very long wavelength. Because of the tsunami, there are strong waves of water is formed and this moves landwards. So, this causes inland movement of water which is very high and lasts for a long time. Thus, the impact of these waves is also very high. 

Greeks were the first people on Earth to claim the effects of the tsunami. They claim that tsunami is just like land earthquakes. Also, the only difference between tsunami and earthquake is that tsunami is caused in oceans. Thus, the scale and ferocity of the tsunami are almost impossible to control. 

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The History of Tsunami

The highest ever recorded tsunami was on 9th July 1958 in the record books. It took place in a bay which was located in the ligula bay along the coasts of Alaska. After the quake, a massive mass of rock fell into the bay waters from the cliff nearby. Thus, this created an impact and produced a wave that reached a height of 524 meters. Also, this is regarded as one of the highest recorded tsunami waves ever. 

The destructive waves responsible for the occurrence of tsunami is also produced in waters of bays or lakes. As this water approached the coast, it grows larger. However, the size of this wave is very low in deep-sea areas. Tsunami waves that are generated in the lakes or bays do not travel for a long distance. Thus, they are not as destructive as the ones produced in the ocean waters. There are various directions in which tsunami can travel from the main point. 

One similar devastating tsunami was experienced in India in 2004. However, the origin of this tsunami was located near Indonesia. Because of the tsunami, it was expected that a total of 2 lakh people lost their lives. The waves traveled extensively thousands of kilometers in countries like Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. 

Tsunamis occur mainly in the Pacific Ocean. There are very chances that they take place in the area where there are larger bodies. Coastlines and open bays next to very deep waters may help tsunami further into a step-like wave. 

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Tsunamis 101

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In Japanese, tsunami means "harbor wave." Tsunamis are ocean waves triggered by an earthquake , volcano, or other movement of the ocean floor. Potentially imperceptible in deep water, a tsunami increases in height as it encounters the shallow waters of shore, often leading to extensive wreckage and loss.

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Find even more resources on tsunamis  in our searchable resource database.

Tsunamis are just long waves — really long waves. But what is a wave? Sound waves, radio waves, even “the wave” in a stadium all have something in common with the waves that move across oceans. It takes an external force to start a wave, like dropping a rock into a pond or waves blowing across the sea. In the case of tsunamis, the forces involved are large — and their effects can be correspondingly massive.

Expected tsunami wave heights from the March 2011 Honshu, Japan undersea earthquake. (Image credit: NOAA Center for Tsunami Research)

What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below or near the ocean floor. This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes crossing entire ocean basins. Unlike wind-driven waves, which only travel through the topmost layer of the ocean, tsunamis move through the entire water column, from the ocean floor to the ocean surface.

Imagine this: you are sitting on a beautiful beach enjoying a lovely day, when out of the blue an alarm blasts from your phone and reads “Tsunami warning.” Do you know where you would go and what to do? What if you aren’t in the U.S. and there are no alarms, would you know the signs of an approaching tsunami?

What causes tsunamis?

Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes on converging tectonic plate boundaries . According to the Global Historical Tsunami Database , since 1900, over 80% of likely tsunamis were generated by earthquakes. However, tsunamis can also be caused by landslides, volcanic activity, certain types of weather , and—possibly—near-earth objects (e.g., asteroids, comets) colliding with or exploding above the ocean.

Tsunami movement

Once a tsunami forms, its speed depends on the depth of the ocean. In the deep ocean, a tsunami can move as fast as a jet plane, over 500 mph, and its wavelength , the distance from crest to crest, may be hundreds of miles. Mariners at sea will not normally notice a tsunami as it passes beneath them; in deep water, the top of the wave rarely reaches more than three feet higher than the ocean swell. NOAA Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) systems, located in the deep ocean, are able to detect small changes in sea-level height and transmit this information to tsunami warning centers.

On the afternoon of April 13, 2018, a large wave of water surged across Lake Michigan and flooded the shores of the picturesque beach town of Ludington, Michigan, damaging homes and boat docks, and flooding intake pipes. Thanks to a local citizen’s photos and other data, NOAA scientists reconstructed the event in models and determined this was the first ever documented meteotsunami in the Great Lakes caused by an atmospheric inertia-gravity wave.

Tsunami safety

A tsunami only becomes hazardous when it approaches land. As a tsunami enters shallow water near coastal shorelines, it slows offsite link to 20 to 30 mph. The wavelength decreases, the height increases, and currents intensify.

Tsunami warnings come in different forms. There are official warnings issued by tsunami warning centers that are broadcast through local radio and television, wireless emergency alerts , NOAA Weather Radios, NOAA websites, and social media. They may also come through outdoor sirens, local officials, text message alerts, and telephone notifications. There may not be time to wait for an official warning, so it is important to be able to recognize natural tsunami warnings. These include strong or long earthquakes, a loud roar (like that of a train or an airplane) coming from the ocean, and a sudden rise or fall of the sea level that is not related to the tide. Official and natural warnings are equally important. Be prepared to respond immediately to any tsunami warnings. Move quickly to a safe place by following posted evacuation signs. If you do not see an evacuation route, go to high ground or as far inland as possible.

When they strike land, most tsunamis are less than 10 feet high, but in extreme cases, they can exceed 100 feet near their source. A tsunami may come onshore like a fast-rising flood or a wall of turbulent water, and a large tsunami can flood low-lying coastal areas more than a mile inland.

Rushing water from waves, floods, and rivers is incredibly powerful. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock adults off their feet, and twelve inches can carry away a small car. Tsunamis can be particularly destructive because of their speed and volume. They are also dangerous as they return to the sea, carrying debris and people with them. The first wave in a tsunami may not be the last, the largest, or the most damaging. Stay out of the tsunami hazard zone until local officials tell you it is safe, as the danger may last for hours or days.

NOAA bathymetric data helps scientists more accurately model tsunami risk within Barry Arm

Tsunami effects on humans

Large tsunamis are significant threats to human health, property, infrastructure, resources, and economies. Effects can be long-lasting, and felt far beyond the coastline. Tsunamis typically cause the most severe damage and casualties near their source, where there is little time for warning. But large tsunamis can also reach distant shorelines, causing widespread damage. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami , for example, impacted 17 countries in Southeastern and Southern Asia and Eastern and Southern Africa.

Tsunami forecasting

Scientists cannot predict when and where the next tsunami will strike. But the tsunami warning centers know which earthquakes are likely to generate tsunamis and can issue messages when one is possible. They monitor networks of deep-ocean and coastal sea-level observation systems designed to detect tsunamis and use information from these networks to forecast coastal impacts and guide local decisions about evacuation. Tsunami warning capabilities have become dramatically better since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. NOAA scientists are working to further improve warning center operations and to help communities be prepared to respond.

As Tonga’s Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano began to erupt on January 15, 2022, it sent more than tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean — some forms of communications in the region were sent into the dark, too. The eruption broke an underwater communications cable, leaving most of the island nation without internet access and other forms of communication.

EDUCATION CONNECTION

Students can investigate tsunamis to discover the impacts of Earth's systems on humans. Teachers can use these potentially deadly waves and other natural hazards to bring relevance to science concepts such as plate tectonics, acceleration and speed, force and motion, energy transfer, and the physics of waves . In addition, many schools, homes, and businesses are located in tsunami hazard zones offsite link . Many coastal states and territories have tsunami preparedness campaigns in place. Teaching students about tsunami safety and preparedness plans may ultimately save lives.

These destructive surges of water are caused by underwater earthquakes.

A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. These walls of water can cause widespread destruction when they crash ashore.

What Causes a Tsunami?

These awe-inspiring waves are typically caused by large, undersea earthquakes at tectonic plate boundaries . When the ocean floor at a plate boundary rises or falls suddenly, it displaces the water above it and launches the rolling waves that will become a tsunami.

Most tsunamis–about 80 percent–happen within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” a geologically active area where tectonic shifts make volcanoes and earthquakes common.

Tsunamis may also be caused by underwater landslides or volcanic eruptions. They may even be launched, as they frequently were in Earth’s ancient past, by the impact of a large meteorite plunging into an ocean.

Tsunamis race across the sea at up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) an hour—about as fast as a jet airplane. At that pace, they can cross the entire expanse of the Pacific Ocean in less than a day. And their long wavelengths mean they lose very little energy along the way.

More than 1,500 people died in Rikuzentakata, one of several towns eradicated by a tsunami that hit Japan.

In deep ocean, tsunami waves may appear only a foot or so high. But as they approach shoreline and enter shallower water they slow down and begin to grow in energy and height. The tops of the waves move faster than their bottoms do, which causes them to rise precipitously.

What Happens When It Hits Land

A tsunami’s trough, the low point beneath the wave’s crest, often reaches shore first. When it does, it produces a vacuum effect that sucks coastal water seaward and exposes harbor and sea floors. This retreating of sea water is an important warning sign of a tsunami, because the wave’s crest and its enormous volume of water typically hit shore five minutes or so later. Recognizing this phenomenon can save lives .

A tsunami is usually composed of a series of waves, called a wave train, so its destructive force may be compounded as successive waves reach shore. People experiencing a tsunami should remember that the danger may not have passed with the first wave and should await official word that it is safe to return to vulnerable locations.

Some tsunamis do not appear on shore as massive breaking waves but instead resemble a quickly surging tide that inundates coastal areas.

The best defense against any tsunami is early warning that allows people to seek higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning System, a coalition of 26 nations headquartered in Hawaii, maintains a web of seismic equipment and water level gauges to identify tsunamis at sea. Similar systems are proposed to protect coastal areas worldwide.

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Science News Explores

Explainer: what is a tsunami.

These waves move enormous amounts of water with devastating — and deadly — power

In many coastal areas, signs show people how to get away from the danger zone when a tsunami is on the way.

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By Stephen Ornes

September 18, 2015 at 4:17 pm

Splash in the bathtub and waves slosh. Toss a rock into a pond and ripples move outward in expanding rings. In each case, the water moves in waves. Those waves carry energy. And the more energy that gets added to a watery environment, the more powerful the waves may become.

Now imagine an undersea earthquake or landslide and the tremendous amount of energy it can transfer. This movement of Earth’s crust can shift huge volumes of water, unleashing a parade of great and powerful waves. This water races away at speeds up to 800 kilometers (500 miles) per hour, or as fast as a jet plane.

Eventually those waves reach shallow water. Here, they slow down and swell, sometimes as high as a 10- or 20-story building. When the waves eventually crash onto land, they can swamp hundreds of kilometers of shoreline. They may snap trees like twigs, collapse office buildings and sweep away cars. Among nature’s most powerful forces of destruction, these waves are called tsunamis (tzu-NAAM-eez). The Japanese term means “harbor wave.”

Tsunamis strike coastal regions about 10 times every year. In coastal regions, tsunamis are often the main cause of deaths associated with earthquakes. Some tsunamis have been particularly devastating. A 2011 earthquake off the coast of northern Japan, for example, sparked a tsunami that reached as high as 40.5 meters (133 feet). It destroyed entire towns. And a 2004 earthquake in Indonesia sent tsunami waves throughout the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. That tsunami killed some 230,000 people in 14 countries.

There’s no stopping a tsunami. There are, however, ways to limit its impacts. Getting people out of the way is the most important.

There may be warning signs that a tsunami is on the way. The earth may shake. Sea level may quickly drop. That sometimes happens before the wall of tsunami water arrives. There may even be an unusual roaring sound. Beachgoers who notice these signs should immediately move to higher ground.

But those warning signs don’t always occur. And they may not leave people enough time to escape. So scientists like oceanographer Dailin Wang, who watches for tsunamis at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, are developing fast and accurate tsunami forecasts. These researchers keep an eye on the Earth using a worldwide network of buoys, seismometers and satellites. When necessary, these experts warn shoreline populations that potentially devastating waves are on the way.

And one day, it might be possible to use cloaking technologies to lessen a tsunami’s destruction. Technologies to do this are already under development, although no one is certain how well they will work.

Power Words

(for more about power words, click  here ).

buoy   A floating device anchored to the bottom of a body of water. A buoy may mark channels, warn of dangers or carry instruments to measure the environment.

earthquake   A sudden and sometimes violent shaking of the ground, sometimes causing great destruction, as a result of movements within Earth’s crust or of volcanic action.

seismic wave   A wave in the ground produced by an earthquake or other means.

seismometer     An instrument that detects and measures tremors (known as seismic waves) as they pass through Earth. The graphical output of the waves it detects is known as a  seismograph .

tsunami   One or many long, high sea waves caused by an earthquake, submarine landslide or other disturbance.

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What is a tsunami?

A tsunami is a series of waves caused by earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions..

On September 29, 2009, a tsunami caused substantial damage and loss of life in American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga. The tsunami was generated by a large earthquake in the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Did you know?

Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves.

More Information

Tsunami "Fast Draw" Animation

Tracking Tsunamis (Ocean Today Video)

National Weather Service TsunamiReady ™

NOAA Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART)

NOAA Tsunami Program

Last updated:

Author: NOAA

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Tsunami Essay

Giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions in the sea are known as tsunamis . The height of tsunami waves does not substantially rise as they approach the ocean's depths. However, as the waves move inland, the ocean's depth declines, causing them to rise to ever-higher heights. Although tsunamis majorly affect only coastal areas, they have a tremendous amount of destructive power and can have an impact on entire ocean basins. Here are a few sample essays on "Tsunami".

100 Words Essay On Tsunami

The first people to declare the existence of tsunamis were the Greeks. The Greeks considered a tsunami to be a ground quake. The only thing that separates tsunamis from earthquakes is that tsunamis happen in the ocean. Consequently, it is very difficult to limit the magnitude and spread of tsunamis. The ecology suffers significantly as a result of tsunamis. Buildings, ecosystems, livelihoods, and other things are destroyed.

Underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions play a crucial role in the development of tsunamis. Tsunamis are caused by various sources, including ground sinking, explosives, etc. Volcanic eruptions beneath the ocean's surface also cause tsunamis to occur. It is commonly known that tsunamis frequently happen in the Pacific Ocean.

200 Words Essay On Tsunami

The word "tsunami," meaning "harbour wave," is of Japanese origin. A tsunami is a series of lengthy water waves that are caused by ocean floor tremors and volcanic eruptions. A landslide will be the primary effect of the earthquake, barring any failure to produce a tsunami on the inside of the seas.

Warning Signs About Tsunamis

The ecology is destroyed by tsunamis , just like any other natural disaster. When a tsunami hits, the ocean waves accelerate to 420 km/h. There are warning signs advising individuals to get away if a tsunami is approaching in several places along the western coastline of the United States, which is vulnerable to tsunamis from the Pacific Ocean.

Based on details about the event that caused the tsunami, the topography of the sea floor, and the coastal landmass, computer simulations can roughly forecast the tsunami's arrival and damage.

Signals By Animals | Animals in the neighbourhood provide one of the first warnings. Before the flood comes, a lot of creatures recognise danger and seek higher ground. Marine life is impacted by tsunamis as well. The ability to predict earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters could be achieved by closely observing their behaviour.

Tsunami Warning Systems | The public can now be alerted to tsunamis before they reach the coasts in areas with a high risk of flooding by using the tsunami warning systems that are available nowadays.

500 Words Essay On Tsunami

A tsunami is a natural disaster that originates under water and is brought on by the waves that an earthquake causes to be generated in the ocean. The tsunami's impacts were initially reported by Greeks on Earth. They claim that earthquakes on land and tsunamis are identical. The sole distinction between a tsunami and an earthquake is that a tsunami results from an oceanic event. Because of this, it is practically impossible to manage the height and intensity of the tsunami.

Tsunami In India

In 2004, India suffered from a terrible tsunami. The tsunami's source was, though, close to Indonesia. It was estimated that 2 lakh people died due to the tsunami. The waves covered thousands of kilometres in places like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and the Maldives.

In the Pacific Ocean, tsunamis dominate. They are likely to occur in a region with more massive bodies. A tsunami may be aided in its progression into a step-like wave by open bays and coastlines near extremely deep oceans.

Controlling Destruction

Here are some steps that can be taken by the government to prevent Tsunami and especially the destruction it brings:-

Infrastructure | Government expenditures can go toward developing infrastructure that is robust, highly secure, and capable of withstanding a tsunami's impact. The height should be sufficient to prevent the tsunami's upper wave from conquering it. A tsunami-prone area can be protected from intensive development and habitational activity.

Warning Systems | The local government can install a quick and effective early warning system. This would assist in raising everyone's level of alertness. By doing so, it might be possible to reduce the loss of human life by getting more people to migrate or escape dangerous locations.

Awareness | It is vitally important to inform people about the effects of tsunamis and their potential consequences. They must be instructed on recognising and understanding the early tsunami warning signs. Under challenging circumstances, they must learn to stay fully prepared rather than panic and anxiously rush around.

Afforestation | Another alternative is to plant trees that can absorb the force of tidal waves, like mangroves, along the coast and its borders. These may lessen a tsunami's effects and limit the devastation they create.

My Experience Of Mock Drills

I remember mock drills were conducted in my school and high school as they were located near the coast of the Arabian sea. These mock drills were conducted to prepare the students for any emergency circumstances like tsunamis, earthquakes and fire disasters. We were taught how to escape in a planned manner which does not create a problematic situation. We were strictly instructed not to use lifts in such a scenario. During heavy rains, school was kept off since Tsunami is more likely to strike during rains.

Tsunamis are less common than other types of natural disasters. However, they may still cause significant damage. A tsunami's most severe consequence is the massive number of deaths. As a result, individuals have little time to flee or escape a tsunami's immediate, nearly silent impact. Tsunamis significantly harm the environment in addition to bringing severe degradation. Marine life suffers extreme damage.

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Essay On Tsunami – 10 Lines, Short & Long Essay For Children

Key Points To Remember: Essay On Tsunami For Lower Primary Classes

10 lines on tsunami for kids, a paragraph on tsunami in english for children, short essay on tsunami for kids, long essay on tsunami for children, what will your child learn from this essay, interesting facts about tsunami for kids.

The word ‘Tsunami’ is of Japanese origin, which means harbour wave. A tsunami is the repetition of long-wavelength water waves triggered due to quakes and volcanic eruptions in ocean beds. If the earthquake fails to cause a tsunami inside the ocean, it will mostly cause a landslide. This tsunami essay for classes 1, 2 and 3 will help your child learn about new things. A tsunami essay in English will also improve ability to convert thoughts into words, positively impacting communication and vocabulary.

A topic like tsunami isn’t a very easy topic to write about. Children might need the assistance of parents or teachers to write about tsunamis. Here are a few key points to remember when writing a composition on tsunami for lower primary classes:

• Use videos or pictures while explaining tsunamis to kids. Visual aids help in better memorisation.
• Keep the content crisp and clear. A tsunami is a phenomenon that involves geographical terms. So, keep in mind to use simple language.
• Encourage your child to write their essay independently once the basics are covered.

What is a tsunami? How does it occur, and what is its impact? Get answers to these questions from the essay for class 1 and 2 kids on tsunamis. Mentioned below are a few lines on tsunami:

• Tsunamis are natural disasters that cause harm to the environment.
• It happens due to an earthquake underwater.
• These occur unexpectedly.
• Volcanic eruptions, plate shifting, the sinking of the earth, etc., are other reasons for tsunamis.
• The term tsunami means harbour waves.
• It has a series of waves with a high wavelength, capable of serious damage.
• The waves created in seas and oceans move towards the land and destroy buildings, homes, forests, etc.
• Landslides also lead to tsunamis.
• Most tsunamis often happen in the Pacific ocean.
• India experienced a similarly destructive Tsunami in 2004.

Do you want to read a short paragraph on tsunamis for children? Then, you are at the right place. Given below is a template for reference:

A tsunami is a series of waves of high wavelengths that cause water to move toward the land. It happens due to earthquakes whose main point is in the water/ocean. Greeks were the first to notice the effects of tsunamis. Sudden volcanic eruptions in the ocean beds, the sinking of the earth, etc., are the other major reasons for tsunamis. Like any other natural calamity, it causes widespread damage to human lives, buildings and trees. Underwater explosions can lead to tsunamis as well. The Pacific Ocean is known to be the hub of tsunamis. Ports and harbours get affected badly by tsunamis.

Looking for a simple-written short essay for classes 1,2 and 3 on tsunamis for kids to understand? Well, search no further. Given below is the template for the same:

A tsunami is defined as a series of waves of high wavelengths that cause water to move toward the land. It happens due to earthquakes whose main point is in the water. Greeks were the first to study the effects of tsunamis, and the only difference between earthquakes and tsunamis is that the latter happens in water. Tsunamis are called seismic waves. We should know that all seismic waves are tsunamis, but earthquakes are not the sole cause of all tsunamis. It also occurs due to sudden volcanic eruptions in the ocean beds, the sinking of the earth, etc. Like any other natural calamity, it causes widespread damage to human lives, public and private properties, and forests. Underwater explosions can lead to tsunamis as well. The Pacific Ocean is known to be the hub of tsunamis. During tsunamis, marine life is also get affected.

Natural calamities like tsunamis occur due to various reasons and cause damage to living and non-living. Here is an essay for class 3 kids on the causes, impacts and history of tsunamis.

History of Tsunami

According to legend, the Greek historian Thucydides suggested that there might be a connection between undersea earthquakes and tsunamis. But until the 20th century, knowledge of the causes and nature of tsunamis was limited. Ammianus, a Roman historian, characterised the sequence of events leading up to a tsunami as an earthquake, a quick retreat of the sea, and then a massive wave. The highest ever tsunami took place in a bay along the coasts of Alaska on July 9th, 1958.

What are the Causes and Effects of Tsunami?

Causes of Tsunami 

• Earthquakes and Landslides:  Shifts in tectonic plates cause earthquakes, and when the main point is in the water, a tsunami is triggered. Sometimes landslides induced by earthquakes lead to these tidal waves.
• Volcanic Eruptions in Sea Beds:  Volcanic eruptions in sea beds are another cause of these high wavelength waves.
• The Sinking of The Earth:  Changes in the earth’s crust or interiors often lead to the sinking of the earth, and this sudden shift can trigger a tsunami.
• Underwater Explosions:  Incidents like meteor collisions with the earth, or chunks of ice breaking off from glaciers lead to underwater explosions.

Effects of Tsunami

• Boats and Ships Sink:  The crashing of such high waves causes widespread damage to boats and ships off the coast.
• It Ruins Buildings, Trees and Houses:  Since the water moves towards the land and is of high velocity, it can destroy homes, uproot trees and displace vehicles.
• Causes:  As in the case of any natural calamity, a tsunami also takes a toll on people’s lives.

How Can Tsunami Be Prevented?

The effects of a tsunami can be reduced by avoiding inundation areas, slowing down water by building ditches, slopes, etc. and steering water to strategically placed walls or structures. An alert well ahead of time can also reduce the damage percentage.

How To Prepare for a Tsunami Disaster?

• To escape a tsunami, go 100 feet above sea level or 2 miles away.
• Often there are weather reports and cautionary warnings for a tsunami. Please take care to follow them.
• Every foot inland or upward is sure to make a difference!
• If you can see the wave, you are too close for safety!

Your child will learn about the causes, history and effects of natural disasters such as tsunamis. They will also understand essay writing and its ways better.

• The word tsunami means harbour wave in Japanese.
• The Pacific Ocean is the hub of tsunamis.
• The first wave of a tsunami is never the biggest.
• The series of waves generated by a tsunami is called a wave train.
• Often called tidal waves, tsunamis are not related to ocean tides.

What is the Difference Between Earthquake and Tsunami?

The major difference between an earthquake and a tsunami is that tsunamis are triggered by earthquakes whose main point is in the oceans or seas. And earthquakes happen on the land.

Topics like composition on tsunamis create awareness about natural calamities and the damage these can cause to humans. Teach your child about possible effects and help them learn new things.

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• Forecast & Warning

The Tsunami Story

Tsunami is a set of ocean waves caused by any large, abrupt disturbance of the sea-surface. If the disturbance is close to the coastline, local tsunamis can demolish coastal communities within minutes. A very large disturbance can cause local devastation AND export tsunami destruction thousands of miles away. The word tsunami is a Japanese word, represented by two characters: tsu, meaning, "harbor", and nami meaning, "wave". Tsunamis rank high on the scale of natural disasters. Since 1850 alone, tsunamis have been responsible for the loss of over 420,000 lives and billions of dollars of damage to coastal structures and habitats. Most of these casualties were caused by local tsunamis that occur about once per year somewhere in the world. For example, the December 26, 2004, tsunami killed about 130,000 people close to the earthquake and about 58,000 people on distant shores. Predicting when and where the next tsunami will strike is currently impossible. Once the tsunami is generated, forecasting tsunami arrival and impact is possible through modeling and measurement technologies.

Generation. Tsunamis are most commonly generated by earthquakes in marine and coastal regions. Major tsunamis are produced by large (greater than 7 on the Richer scale), shallow focus (< 30km depth in the earth) earthquakes associated with the movement of oceanic and continental plates. They frequently occur in the Pacific, where dense oceanic plates slide under the lighter continental plates. When these plates fracture they provide a vertical movement of the seafloor that allows a quick and efficient transfer of energy from the solid earth to the ocean (try the animation in Figure 1). When a powerful earthquake (magnitude 9.3) struck the coastal region of Indonesia in 2004, the movement of the seafloor produced a tsunami in excess of 30 meters (100 feet) along the adjacent coastline killing more than 240,000 people. From this source the tsunami radiated outward and within 2 hours had claimed 58,000 lives in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India.

Underwater landslides associated with smaller earthquakes are also capable of generating destructive tsunamis. The tsunami that devastated the northwestern coast of Papua New Guinea on July 17, 1998, was generated by an earthquake that registered 7.0 on the Richter scale that apparently triggered a large underwater landslide. Three waves measuring more than 7 meter high struck a 10-kilometer stretch of coastline within ten minutes of the earthquake/slump. Three coastal villages were swept completely clean by the deadly attack leaving nothing but sand and 2,200 people dead. Other large-scale disturbances of the sea -surface that can generate tsunamis are explosive volcanoes and asteroid impacts. The eruption of the volcano Krakatoa in the East Indies on Aug. 27, 1883 produced a 30-meter tsunami that killed over 36,000 people. In 1997, scientists discovered evidence of a 4km diameter asteroid that landed offshore of Chile approximately 2 million years ago that produced a huge tsunami that swept over portions of South America and Antarctica.

Figure 1. Click to see and animation of a tsunami generated by an earthquake.

Wave Propagation. Because earth movements associated with large earthquakes are thousand of square kilometers in area, any vertical movement of the seafloor immediately changes the sea-surface. The resulting tsunami propagates as a set of waves whose energy is concentrated at wavelengths corresponding to the earth movements (~100 km), at wave heights determined by vertical displacement (~1m), and at wave directions determined by the adjacent coastline geometry. Because each earthquake is unique, every tsunami has unique wavelengths, wave heights, and directionality (Figure 2 shows the propagation of the December 24, 2004 Sumatra tsunami.) From a tsunami warning perspective, this makes the problem of forecasting tsunamis in real time daunting.

Warning Systems. Since 1946, the tsunami warning system has provided warnings of potential tsunami danger in the pacific basin by monitoring earthquake activity and the passage of tsunami waves at tide gauges. However, neither seismometers nor coastal tide gauges provide data that allow accurate prediction of the impact of a tsunami at a particular coastal location. Monitoring earthquakes gives a good estimate of the potential for tsunami generation, based on earthquake size and location, but gives no direct information about the tsunami itself. Tide gauges in harbors provide direct measurements of the tsunami, but the tsunami is significantly altered by local bathymetry and harbor shapes, which severely limits their use in forecasting tsunami impact at other locations. Partly because of these data limitations, 15 of 20 tsunami warnings issued since 1946 were considered false alarms because the tsunami that arrived was too weak to cause damage.

Figure 2. Click to see the propagation of the December 24, 2004 Sumatra tsunami.

Forecasting impacts. Recently developed real-time, deep ocean tsunami detectors (Figure 3) will provide the data necessary to make tsunami forecasts. The November 17, 2003, Rat Is. tsunami in Alaska provided the most comprehensive test for the forecast methodology. The Mw 7.8 earthquake on the shelf near Rat Islands, Alaska, generated a tsunami that was detected by three tsunameters located along the Aleutian Trench-the first tsunami detection by the newly developed real-time tsunameter system. These real-time data combined with the model database (Figure 4) were then used to produce the real-time model tsunami forecast. For the first time, tsunami model predictions were obtained during the tsunami propagation, before the waves had reached many coastlines. The initial offshore forecast was obtained immediately after preliminary earthquake parameters (location and magnitude Ms = 7.5) became available from the West Coast/Alaska TWC (about 15-20 minutes after the earthquake). The model estimates provided expected tsunami time series at tsunameter locations. When the closest tsunameter recorded the first tsunami wave, about 80 minutes after the tsunami, the model predictions were compared with the deep-ocean data and the updated forecast was adjusted immediately. These offshore model scenarios were then used as input for the high-resolution inundation model for Hilo Bay. The model computed tsunami dynamics on several nested grids, with the highest spatial resolution of 30 meters inside the Hilo Bay (Figure 5). None of the tsunamis produced inundation at Hilo, but all of them recorded nearly half a meter (peak-to-trough) signal at Hilo gage. Model forecast predictions for this tide gage are compared with observed data in Figure 5. The comparison demonstrates that amplitudes, arrival time and periods of several first waves of the tsunami wave train were correctly forecasted. More tests are required to ensure that the inundation forecast will work for every likely-to-occur tsunami. When implemented, such forecast will be obtained even faster and would provide enough lead time for potential evacuation or warning cancellation for Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

Reduction of impact. The recent development of real-time deep ocean tsunami detectors and tsunami inundation models has given coastal communities the tools they need to reduce the impact of future tsunamis. If these tools are used in conjunction with a continuing educational program at the community level, at least 25% of the tsunami related deaths might be averted. By contrasting the casualties from the 1993 Sea of Japan tsunami with that of the 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami, we can conclude that these tools work. For the Aonae, Japan case about 15% of the population at risk died from a tsunami that struck within 10 minutes of the earthquake because the population was educated about tsunamis, evacuation plans had been developed, and a warning was issued. For the Warapa, Papua New Guinea case about 40% of the at risk population died from a tsunami that arrived within 15 minutes of the earthquake because the population was not educated, no evacuation plan was available, and no warning system existed.

Eddie N. Bernard

References:

Bernard, E.N. (1998): Program aims to reduce impact of tsunamis on Pacific states. Eos Trans. AGU, 79(22), 258, 262-263.

Bernard, E.N. (1999): Tsunami. Natural Disaster Management, Tudor Rose, Leicester, England, 58-60.

Synolakis, C., P. Liu, G. Carrier, H. Yeh, Tsunamigenic Sea-Floor Deformations, Science, 278, 598-600, 1997.

Dudley, Walter C., and Min Lee (1998): Tsunami! Second Edition, University of Hawai'i Press, Honolulu, Hawaii.

• Paragraph Writing
• Paragraph On Tsunami

Paragraph on Tsunami - Check Samples for 100, 150, 200, 250 Words

A tsunami is a kind of natural disaster which is caused due to volcanic eruptions in the ocean beds. Tsunamis are natural occurrences in which a series of powerful waves cause a surge in water that can reach heights of several metres. There are various other reasons that can cause a tsunami which is equally hazardous to people as other natural disasters.

Table of Contents

Paragraph on tsunami in 100 words, paragraph on tsunami in 150 words, paragraph on tsunami in 200 words, paragraph on tsunami in 250 words, frequently asked questions on tsunami.

Tsunamis are caused due to various reasons. There are many factors that can lead to tsunamis and cause harm to humankind. Before writing a paragraph on tsunamis, check the samples provided below.

Tsunamis are caused majorly due to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that occur under the ocean. There are various factors that cause tsunamis, like the sinking of the earth, explosives, etc. Tsunamis occur primarily in areas where two continents meet. Tsunamis also happen due to volcanic eruptions under the ocean beds. The Pacific Ocean is well-known for the frequent occurrence of tsunamis. Tsunamis cause a lot of damage to the environment. It destroys buildings, forests, livelihood, etc. Since it is a sudden event, no one can anticipate its occurrence.

Tsunamis are natural disasters that are destructive to the environment. It is caused due to an earthquake underwater. Just like earthquakes are unpredictable, tsunamis occur suddenly, and no one can anticipate their occurrence. There can be various reasons for a tsunami to occur, like the sinking of the earth, explosives, etc. Tsunamis occur primarily in areas where two continents meet. It is known that the Pacific Ocean is a hub of tsunamis. Tsunamis also happen due to volcanic eruptions under the ocean beds. Tsunami is a term that refers to tidal waves. Therefore, a tsunami is defined as a sequence of ocean waves with a very long wavelength. Due to the tsunami, strong waves of water are created and move landwards. As a result, there is a large inland water movement that lasts for a long time. As a result, these waves have significant destructive power. Like other natural disasters, tsunamis also bring great destruction to the environment. It brings losses to livelihood, property, forests, etc.

A sudden movement under the sea beds causes tsunamis. It is an earthquake inside the sea or ocean. The Pacific Ocean is known to be a hotspot of tsunamis. Other than earthquakes, there are other reasons for tsunamis to occur. One of the major reasons is volcanic eruptions under the sea beds. Other reasons for the occurrence of tsunamis are the sinking of the earth, explosives, etc. These natural disasters occur primarily in areas where two continents meet. A tsunami is a term that refers to tidal waves. Therefore, a tsunami is defined as a sequence of ocean waves with a very long wavelength. Due to the tsunami, strong waves of water are created and move landwards. As a result, there is a large inland water movement that lasts for a long time. As a result, these waves have significant destructive power. Like any other natural disaster, tsunamis bring massive destruction to the environment. When a tsunami strikes, the sea waves reach a speed of 420 kilometres per hour. Beaches are ruined, trees and plants are broken, and human settlements, residences, buildings, and ports are demolished due to the tsunami.

The term “tsunami” refers to tidal waves. As a result, a tsunami is characterised as a series of extraordinarily long-wavelength ocean waves. Strong waves of water are formed by the tsunami and move landward. As a result, there is a massive and long-lasting inland water movement. As a result, these waves have considerable destructive power. Tsunamis are caused by abrupt movement beneath the seabed. It’s an earthquake that occurs deep within the water or ocean. The Pacific Ocean is known to be a hotspot of tsunamis. Tsunamis can develop for a variety of reasons other than earthquakes. Volcanic explosions beneath the seabed are one of the leading causes. Tsunamis can also be caused by the earth sinking, the explosion of bombs, and other factors. Tsunamis are especially common in locations where two continents meet. Tsunamis cause strong water waves to move towards the ground. The Greeks were the first people on the planet to assert that tsunamis had occurred. As per the Greeks, a tsunami is a ground quake. Tsunamis and earthquakes are only distinguished by the fact that tsunamis occur in the oceans. As a result, controlling the size and spread of tsunamis is nearly impossible. Tsunamis, like every other natural calamity, wreak havoc on the environment. The sea waves reach a speed of 420 kilometres per hour when a tsunami strikes. Due to tsunamis in seas or oceans, beaches are wrecked, trees and plants are washed away, and human settlements, dwellings, buildings, and ports are destroyed.

What is meant by a tsunami?

A tsunami is a strong and abrupt movement inside the water, causing destruction to the environment. It is a kind of natural disaster which is similar to earthquakes. It occurs inside the water causing strong tidal waves.

How are earthquakes different from tsunamis?

Earthquakes are strong and sudden movements on land, but tsunamis are caused by earthquakes inside the seas or oceans.

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99 Tsunami Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best tsunami topic ideas & essay examples, 🥇 most interesting tsunami topics to write about, 📌 simple & easy tsunami essay titles, ❓ tsunami research questions.

• 2011 Tsunami in Tohoku and Its Effects on Japan In this instance, the geological origin of the tsunami has to be discussed due to the fact that it plays a significant role in predicting the presence of a tsunami in the future.
• Damages of Tsunami to Human Beings High Cost of Fighting Tsunami The total cost of tsunami could be billions of dollars since the damages of income generating business, and the cost used to curb the situation on the ground was quite […]
• The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 and Its Consequences The worst effects of the great wave were observed in Indonesia, where the death toll exceeded 160,000 people, and the overall damages almost reached $4.
• The Causes and Consequences of the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka Due to a displacement of sea water as a result of displaced debris from landslides, a series of waves that has a potential of causing a tsunami is formed.
• Tsunami’s Reasons and Effects Therefore, it is essential to know how to anticipate the place and time of the occurrence of a tsunami and to determine which factors are the main in assessing the potential wave’s power and the […]
• Tsunami Geological Origin Firstly, the source of the volcanic eruption has to be understood, as this natural phenomenon is one of the primary causes of a tsunami.
• Tsunami Disasters in Okushiri Island In addition, fire outbreaks also contributed to the devastating effects of the tsunami. In addition, the question of educating and passing information about dangers of tsunami contributed to massive loss of lives.
• Natural Disasters: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis In addition, the paper will outline some of the similarities and differences between tsunamis and floods. Similarities between tsunamis and floods: Both tsunamis and floods are natural disasters that cause destruction of properties and human […]
• Effect of the 2004 Tsunami on Indonesia The areas prone to tsunamis on the Indonesian coast are: The west coast of Sumatra, the south coast of Java, the north and south coasts of West Nusa, Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces, the […]
• The Impacts of Japan’s Earthquake, Tsunami on the World Economy The future prospects in regard to the tsunami and the world economy will be presented and application of the lessons learnt during the catastrophe in future” tsunami occurrence” management.
• Tsunami Warning Management System Tsunami emergency management system detects and predicts tsunami in addition to warning individuals and government in good time before the onset of the disaster.
• South California Tsunami and Disaster Response This paper provides the report’s estimate figures in terms of human casualties and the structures affected by the wave. The Figure 1 represents the graphical representation of the data collected.
• The Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 Documentary The documentary reflects the events leading to the natural disasters and their aftermath, including an investigation into the reasons for the failure of the precautionary measures in place during the 2011 earthquake in Japan.
• Tsunamis: Case Studies Massive movement of seabed caused the tsunami during the earthquake movement. The Burma plates slipped around the earthquake’s epicenter.
• Tsunami Warning Systems In such a way, it is possible to conclude that the poor functioning of awareness systems in the past preconditioned the reconsideration of the approach to monitoring tsunamis and warning people about them.
• Tsunami and the Health Department The overstretching of health facilities poses a great challenge; how can the health department deal with tsunami cases to ensure that the community is disease-free and safe?
• Economic Tsunami and Current Economic Strategies The current economic situation in the world is the result of a great number of different factors including the sphere of finance.
• Tsunami Handling at a Nuclear Power Plant The information presented in this research paper has been analyzed and proved to be the actual content obtained by various parties that participate in the study of tsunamis.
• The Sumatra Earthquake of 26 December 2004: Indonesia Tsunami As such, the earthquake resulted in the development of a large tsunami off the Sumatran Coast that led to destruction of large cities in Indonesia.
• Tsunami Funding: On Assistance to the Victims of the December 2004 Tsunami In the US, through the help of the United Nations Organization in conjunction with the Red Cross, sited and established centers where people in the community would take their donations.
• Tsunami: Crisis Management The saving of lives during a disaster and emergency incident will depend on the proper coordination of the rescue team, delivery of the right skills to the scene which can only be achieved through the […]
• The Recommendations Made in the Field of Tsunami Emergency Managements Additionally, the tsunami that hit the coastal area of the Indian Ocean in 2004 was one of the events that led to reconsiderations of the preparedness levels in dealing with catastrophes of such scales.
• Physical Aspect of Tsunami According to Nelson, wave length is the distance between similar points of the wave; the concepts of tsunami wave height and amplitude are interconnected, as the height is the distance between tsunami’s trough and peak, […]
• Causes and Effect of the Tsunami in Indonesia Scientifically tsunami is caused by the water which is impelled afar the interior of the underwater commotion, the change in this water levels move at the speed of about four hundred miles per sixty minutes […]
• Natural Hazard: Tsunami Caused by Earthquakes Other areas that are prone to the tsunamis include Midwestern and Eastern United States of America and parts of Eastern of Canada, Indian Ocean and East Africa.
• Tsunamis and Their Harmful Effects on Countries As it begins, the video shows the surrounding of the beach which is still full of people, then focuses on an approaching wave.
• Natural Disasters: Tsunami, Hurricanes and Earthquake The response time upon the prediction of a tsunami is minimal owing to the rapid fall and rise of the sea level.
• Marketing after a Crisis: Recovering From the Tsunami in Thailand The researchers aim was to assess the damages caused by the tsunami, to evaluate and adjust the impact and strategize on how to combat the crisis in the future.
• Tsunami: Definition and Causes Tsunamis have gained worldwide notoriety following the two devastating tsunamis that have occurred in the course of the last ten years. Submarine earthquakes can generate dangerous tsunamis and that the intensity of this tsunami is […]
• What Is a Tsunami and What Causes Them? We shall dwell on the Shifts in the Tectonic plates as the reasoning behind the Tsunamis, but we have to understand the concept involved in the movement of the plate tectonics then how the earthquake […]
• Effect on People Who Have Been Through Tsunami The community and government were left with a major challenge of how to cope with the physical and psychological stress that was quite evident.
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• Measuring Tsunami Preparedness in Coastal Washington, United States
• Standards, Criteria, and Procedures for NOAA Evaluation of Tsunami Numerical Models
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• Could a Large Tsunami Happen in the United States?
• What Does a Tsunami Look Like When It Reaches the Coast?
• Is It Rare for a Tsunami to Happen?
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• What’s the Worst Tsunami Ever?
• What Happens to the Beach Before a Tsunami?
• Why Does Water Go Out Before a Tsunami?
• Can You Survive a Tsunami With a Life Jacket?
• Where Do Tsunami Most Hit?
• How Are Tsunamis Different From Normal Ocean Waves?
• What Are the Designated Service Areas of the Tsunami Warning Centers?
• How Quickly Are Tsunami Messages Issued?
• What Is the Difference Between a Local and a Distant Tsunami?
• What Types of Earthquakes Generate Tsunamis?
• Can Near Earth Objects Generate Tsunamis?
• What Are the Causes of Tsunamis?
• How Can Tsunami Be Controlled?
• What Keeps a Tsunami Going?
• Which Country Has the Most Tsunamis?
• What Are Some of the Most Damaging Tsunamis to Affect the United States?
• What Is the Tsunami Hazard Level for Anchorage and the Upper Cook Inlet in Alaska?
• What Are Ways Tsunami Start?
• How Many Tsunami Happen a Year?
• Can a Boat at Sea Survive a Tsunami?
• What Happens to a Whale in a Tsunami?
• How Much Warning Is There Before a Tsunami?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Short Essay on Tsunami in English

Tsunami is a natural disaster like Earthquake, Flood or Draught. Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ‘harbour wave’.High sea wave occurs when a large amount of water displaced due to earthquake or volcano happening under the sea. These waves are very strong and spread throughout the places close to the sea.

There are many reasons which can cause a Tsunami. It can happen because of an earthquake or volcano. It can also happen because of an explosion which happens under the water. These explosions can be breaking off big ice chunk from the glaciers. It can also happen when a meteor collides with Earth.

Tsunami is very harmful and it destroys everything. Firstly, due to big and strong waves, boats and ships in the ocean sink near the coastal area. Secondly, the waves spread to a large area and ruin everything like houses, buildings, cars, trees which get washed away in the waves.

The effect of Tsunami is for long time. Some people lose their loved ones and some lose their property and house which they had built with hard work.

Tsunami affects coastal places. It cannot be prevented but the losses can be decreased. Government should always make a big sea wall to stop the waves from crossing it.

Planting of mangroves in the coastal area helps greatly. Disasters like Tsunami remind us that humans are not powerful than nature so we must take care of nature. Nature isn’t always beautiful, it sometimes takes lives also.

Table of Contents

Questions of Tsunami

What is tsunami short note.

Tsunami is a natural disaster like Earthquake, Flood or Draught. Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ‘harbour wave’.High sea wave occurs when a large amount of water displaced due to earthquake or volcano happening under the sea.

What are the Effects of a Tsunami?

Firstly, due to big and strong waves, boats and ships in the ocean sink near the coastal area. Secondly, the waves spread to a large area and ruin everything like houses, buildings, cars, trees which get washed away in the waves. It is also associated with psychological problems for inhabitants of the area.

Tsunami Preparedness what to do when a Tsunami came?

• To escape a tsunami, go as high and as far as you can – ideally to a spot 100 feet above sea level or 2 miles away.
• Every foot inland or upward may make a difference!
• If you can see the wave, you are too close for safety.

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Guest Essay

Art Isn’t Supposed to Make You Comfortable

By Jen Silverman

Mx. Silverman is a playwright and the author, most recently, of the novel “There’s Going to Be Trouble.”

When I was in college, I came across “The Sea and Poison,” a 1950s novel by Shusaku Endo. It tells the story of a doctor in postwar Japan who, as an intern years earlier, participated in a vivisection experiment on an American prisoner. Endo’s lens on the story is not the easiest one, ethically speaking; he doesn’t dwell on the suffering of the victim. Instead, he chooses to explore a more unsettling element: the humanity of the perpetrators.

When I say “humanity” I mean their confusion, self-justifications and willingness to lie to themselves. Atrocity doesn’t just come out of evil, Endo was saying, it emerges from self-interest, timidity, apathy and the desire for status. His novel showed me how, in the right crucible of social pressures, I, too, might delude myself into making a choice from which an atrocity results. Perhaps this is why the book has haunted me for nearly two decades, such that I’ve read it multiple times.

I was reminded of that novel at 2 o’clock in the morning recently as I scrolled through a social media account dedicated to collecting angry reader reviews. My attention was caught by someone named Nathan, whose take on “Paradise Lost” was: “Milton was a fascist turd.” But it was another reader, Ryan, who reeled me in with his response to John Updike’s “Rabbit, Run”: “This book made me oppose free speech.” From there, I hit the bank of “Lolita” reviews: Readers were appalled, frustrated, infuriated. What a disgusting man! How could Vladimir Nabokov have been permitted to write this book? Who let authors write such immoral, perverse characters anyway?

I was cackling as I scrolled but soon a realization struck me. Here on my screen was the distillation of a peculiar American illness: namely, that we have a profound and dangerous inclination to confuse art with moral instruction, and vice versa.

As someone who was born in the States but partially raised in a series of other countries, I’ve always found the sheer uncompromising force of American morality to be mesmerizing and terrifying. Despite our plurality of influences and beliefs, our national character seems inescapably informed by an Old Testament relationship to the notions of good and evil. This powerful construct infuses everything from our advertising campaigns to our political ones — and has now filtered into, and shifted, the function of our artistic works.

Maybe it’s because our political discourse swings between deranged and abhorrent on a daily basis and we would like to combat our feelings of powerlessness by insisting on moral simplicity in the stories we tell and receive. Or maybe it’s because many of the transgressions that flew under the radar in previous generations — acts of misogyny, racism and homophobia; abuses of power both macro and micro — are now being called out directly. We’re so intoxicated by openly naming these ills that we have begun operating under the misconception that to acknowledge each other’s complexity, in our communities as well as in our art, is to condone each other’s cruelties.

When I work with younger writers, I am frequently amazed by how quickly peer feedback sessions turn into a process of identifying which characters did or said insensitive things. Sometimes the writers rush to defend the character, but often they apologize shamefacedly for their own blind spot, and the discussion swerves into how to fix the morals of the piece. The suggestion that the values of a character can be neither the values of the writer, nor the entire point of the piece, seems more and more surprising — and apt to trigger discomfort.

While I typically share the progressive political views of my students, I’m troubled by their concern for righteousness over complexity. They do not want to be seen representing any values they do not personally hold. The result is that, in a moment in which our world has never felt so fast-changing and bewildering, our stories are getting simpler, less nuanced and less able to engage with the realities through which we’re living.

I can’t blame younger writers for believing that it is their job to convey a strenuously correct public morality. This same expectation filters into all the modes in which I work: novels, theater, TV and film. The demands of Internet Nathan and Internet Ryan — and the anxieties of my mentees — are not so different from those of the industry gatekeepers who work in the no-man’s land between art and money and whose job it is to strip stories of anything that could be ethically murky.

I have worked in TV writers’ rooms where “likability notes” came from on high as soon as a complex character was on the page — particularly when the character was female. Concern about her likability was most often a concern about her morals: Could she be perceived as promiscuous? Selfish? Aggressive? Was she a bad girlfriend or a bad wife? How quickly could she be rehabilitated into a model citizen for the viewers?

TV is not alone in this. A director I’m working with recently pitched our screenplay to a studio. When the executives passed, they told our team it was because the characters were too morally ambiguous and they’d been tasked with seeking material wherein the lesson was clear, so as not to unsettle their customer base. What they did not say, but did not need to, is that in the absence of adequate federal arts funding, American art is tied to the marketplace. Money is tight, and many corporations do not want to pay for stories that viewers might object to if they can buy something that plays blandly in the background of our lives.

But what art offers us is crucial precisely because it is not a bland backdrop or a platform for simple directives. Our books, plays, films and TV shows can do the most for us when they don’t serve as moral instruction manuals, but rather allow us to glimpse our own hidden capacities, the slippery social contracts inside which we function, and the contradictions we all contain.

We need more narratives that tell us the truth about how complex our world is. We need stories that help us name and accept paradoxes, not ones that erase or ignore them. After all, our experience of living in communities with one another is often much more fluid and changeable than it is rigidly black and white. We have the audiences that we cultivate, and the more we cultivate audiences who believe that the job of art is to instruct instead of investigate, to judge instead of question, to seek easy clarity instead of holding multiple uncertainties, the more we will find ourselves inside a culture defined by rigidity, knee-jerk judgments and incuriosity.

In our hair-trigger world of condemnation, division and isolation, art — not moralizing — has never been more crucial.

Jen Silverman is a playwright and the author of the novels “We Play Ourselves” and “There’s Going to Be Trouble.”

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