Geography and Overview of Tsunamis

A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that are generated by large movements or other disturbances on the oceans floor. Such disturbances include volcanic eruptions, landslides, and underwater explosions, but earthquakes are the most common cause. Tsunamis can occur close to the shore or travel thousands of miles if the disturbance occurs in the deep ocean. Tsunamis are important to study because they are a natural hazard that can occur at any time in coastal areas around the world. In an effort to gain a more complete understanding of tsunamis and generate stronger warning systems, there are monitors throughout the worlds oceans to measure wave height and potential underwater disturbances. The Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific Ocean is one of the largest monitoring systems in the world and it is made up of 26 different countries and a series of monitors placed throughout the Pacific. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) in Honolulu, Hawaii collects and processes data gathered from these monitors and provides warnings throughout the Pacific Basin. Causes of Tsunamis Tsunamis are also called seismic sea waves because they are most commonly caused by earthquakes. Because tsunamis are caused mainly by earthquakes, they are most common in the Pacific Oceans Ring of Fire - the margins of the Pacific with many plate tectonic boundaries and faults that are capable of producing large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. In order for an earthquake to cause a tsunami, it must occur below the oceans surface or near the ocean and be a magnitude large enough to cause disturbances on the seafloor. Once the earthquake or other underwater disturbance occurs, the water surrounding the disturbance is displaced and radiates away from the initial source of the disturbance (i.e. the epicenter in an earthquake) in a series of fast-moving waves. Not all earthquakes or underwater disturbances cause tsunamis - they must be large enough to move a significant amount of material. In addition, in the case of an earthquake, its magnitude, depth, water depth and the speed at which the material moves all factor into whether or not a tsunami is generated. Tsunami Movement Once a tsunami is generated, it can travel thousands of miles at speeds of up to 500 miles per hour (805 km per hour). If a tsunami is generated in the deep ocean, the waves radiate out from the source of the disturbance and move toward land on all sides. These waves usually have a large wavelength and a short wave height so they are not easily recognized by the human eye in these regions. As the tsunami moves toward shore and the oceans depth decreases, its speed slows quickly and the waves begin to grow in height as the wavelength decreases (diagram) This is called amplification and it is when the tsunami is the most visible. As the tsunami reaches the shore, the trough of the wave hits first which appears as a very low tide. This is a warning that a tsunami is imminent. Following the trough, the peak of the tsunami comes ashore. The waves hit the land like a strong, fast tide, instead of a giant wave. Giant waves only occur if the tsunami is very large. This is called runup and it is when the most flooding and damage from the tsunami occurs as the waters often travel farther inland than normal waves would. Tsunami Watch Versus Warning Because tsunamis are not easily seen until they are close to shore, researchers and emergency managers rely on monitors that are located throughout the oceans that track slight changes in the height of waves. Whenever there is an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7.5 in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Watch is automatically declared by the PTWC if it was in a region capable of producing a tsunami. Once a tsunami watch is issued, PTWC watches tide monitors in the ocean to determine whether or not a tsunami was generated. If a tsunami is generated, a Tsunami Warning is issued and coastal areas are evacuated. In the case of deep ocean tsunamis, the public is normally given time to evacuate, but if it is a locally generated tsunami, a Tsunami Warning is automatically issued and people should immediately evacuate coastal areas. Large Tsunamis and Earthquakes Tsunamis occur all over the world and they cannot be predicted since earthquakes and other underwater disturbances occur without warning. The only tsunami prediction possible is the monitoring of waves after the earthquake has already happened. In addition, scientists today know where tsunamis are most likely to occur due to large events in the past. In March 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck near the coast of Sendai, Japan and generated a tsunami that devastated that region and caused damage thousands of miles away in Hawaii and the west coast of the United States. In December 2004, a major earthquake struck near the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia and generated a tsunami that damaged countries all over the Indian Ocean. In April 1946 a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck near Alaskas Aleutian Islands and generated a tsunami that destroyed much of Hilo, Hawaii thousands of miles away. The PTWC was created in 1949 as a result. To learn more about tsunamis, visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Tsunami Website. References National Weather Service. (n.d.). Tsunami: The Great Waves. Retrieved from: http://www.weather.gov/om/brochures/tsunami.htmNatural Hazards Hawaii. (n.d.). Understanding the Difference Between a Tsunami Watch and Warning. University of Hawaii at Hilo. Retrieved from: http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/~nat_haz/tsunamis/watchvwarning.phpUnited States Geological Survey. (22 October 2008). Life of a Tsunami. Retrieved from: http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/basics.htmlWikipedia.org. (28 March 2011). Tsunami - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tsunami

Decriminalization Of Drug Usage Among Portugal - 1299 Words

Decriminalization of Drug Usage in Portugal Derrick Routon American Government 101 Professor Newman 21 April 2016 Portugal has garnered a large amount of attention since adopting a new method to combat drug usage. They have moved to decriminalize low scale drug possession and usage instead of an incarceration of low level offenders. Many nations have desired to reevaluate their own regimen of substance control and the way abuses were handled. The Portuguese government has collected a plethora of data while the implementation of their drug governance changed. The statistics gathered have shown that current United States policies would benefit from changes in its rabid criminalization of substance abuse. In 2001, the European Monitoring Centre for Dugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) enacted the new drug policy in Portugal. The new law focused on the decriminalization of drug use. In their words, this â€Å"comprises removal of a conduct or activity from the sphere of criminal law. Prohibition remains the rule, but sanctions for use (and its preparatory acts) no longer fall within the f ramework of the criminal law.† Notice the wording focused on the fact that drug use was still a societal obstacle even with the new law. The reason for such a drastic policy shift was due to staggering statics centered on the rise of drug usage. The political reasons for the shift to decriminalization was due to the increases in drug abuse and the other diseases thatShow MoreRelatedDrug Use And Its Effect On Crime1610 Words   |  7 PagesCrime and drug use in Portugal has been a major issue, however after the government instated decriminalization, the number has decreased. 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The Role of a Trainer / Assessor Free Essays

The role of a Trainer / Assessor In my opinion, the role of a trainer / assessor is:- * Liaise with clients / learners and the sponsoring organisation. * Completing Individual learning plans with learners. * Preparing session plans / Scheme of work. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of a Trainer / Assessor or any similar topic only for you Order Now * Conducting inductions where appropriate. * Delivering of training sessions. * Carry out one to one sessions. * Conduct assessments and tests. * Marking learners work and providing feedback to learners on progress throughout the course. * Complete assessment results forms that has to be submitted to awarding bodies within the stated deadline. Complete course reports that have to be submitted to awarding body within the specified deadline. * Maintain learners’ attendance records. * Handing out certificates at the end of course and submitting evaluation to the awarding body at the required time. * Carrying out duties including collection of enrolment forms that are forwarded to central administration by specified times. * A trainer / assessor is expected to monitor the behaviour of learners and advise management where incidents which causes concern to staff or learners. Such matters may include discrimination, bullying, equity issues, language and literacy problems that are affecting student performance. * Monitor classroom safety and OHS issues (Duty of Care) and advices of matters that need to be reported for follow up in premises that have been provided by clients. * Must always source out ways of providing help and support for learners. * Must have an understanding of the Equality Act with the ability to set boundaries. * Excellent Time management skill Plan for first 30 days at work| Week 1| Date| Topics| Details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday| Getting to know the ethos of the organisation, | * Understand the rules and regulations * Who are my learners / my client group * My duties and work structure * Get to know my boss / verifier and colleagues * Work materials and resources available to me * Start building folders for learner / clients * Go through the list of learners / Clients * Booking one to one sessions * Sending out letters where needed. 9:00am to —–pm| (1) It is important for me to understand the rules and regulations of the organisation in order for me to know the boundaries set for learners and me. | | | | | (2) Important to understand how my workload and duties has been structured, set targets, deadlines etc. | | | | | (3) Meeting the team, seeing and understanding how they work is useful and will guide me. A meeting with the verifier is important. | | | | | (4) Imperative to see what work materials that I n eed to use and what resources that are available for my learners and I. | | | | (5) If there is a list of clients already, seeing the list of learners and their files will be useful. | | | | | (6) Booking learners to meet with me for a one to one session to complete individual learning plans and getting to know each other and their needs. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Week 2| Date| Topic| Details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday| Initial assessments and planning| * Getting to know my learners / clients. Understanding their needs * Agreeing mile stones with learners * Planning and sourcing various training materials and resources for my learners / clients * Planning training sessions / assessments * Booking training sessions / assessments * Consulting with management / verifier to give and gain feedbacks| 9:00am to —–pm| (1) The plan is to see approximately 7 learners per day booked at 30 minutes intervals. | | | | | (2) Using the one to one information to source out what resources and support needed for each learner / client. | | | | (3) A design for the training session to commence, it needs to include various methods to include all learners, i. e, visual, audio, handouts and games. | | | | | (4) Booking in house training sessions, group and individual sessions, source out the needs and work materials for each learner. | | | | | (5) Consulting with verifier and management to ensure that I am on the right track. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Week 3| Date| Topics| Details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday| Start of training / assessments. | * Start first training session * Hand learners feedback form to rate session * Next session with learner * Agree on review dates * Updating of learners data base * Send management feedbacks * Liaise with management / verifier. * Prepare for the next day. | 9:00am to —–pm| (1) The amount of clients seen in a week for training will depend on the amount of clients in group sessions or a one to one sessions and locations. | | | | (2) Review dates will be on a fortnightly plan or as designed by the organisation. | | | | | (3) At the end of each session / day learners data base must be updated. | | | | | (4) Ensure feedbacks are handed in and liaise with line manager. | | | | | (5) Make calls to learners to be visited the next day to ensure they remember the appointment, liaise with their managers to ensure that the session is still ok to go on. | | | | | (6) Ensure that all learning materials and resources for the next day sessions are ready. | | | | (7) Liaise with management / verifier for feedback and support where needed. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Week 4| Date| Topics| Details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday| | Training sessions| * Continue training sessions * Making appointments for new sessions and booking review dates. * Liaising with management / verifier. * Ensuring resources and work materials available. * Complete all documents. * Assess learner’s work * Update learner’s database. Confirming next day’s appointments. | 9:00am to —- pm| | | | | | | (1) Continue training sessions and re-capping on previous session, confirming the next session. | | | | | | (2) Ensure reviews are booked with learners, send out emails to notify / remind learners. | | | | | | (3) Review learners work handed in. | | | | | | (4) Ensure that all documents are completed on a daily basis to avoid back log and loss. All learners database must be updated each time new information comes in and after each review, assessment or test. | | | | | (5) Always ensure that there are work materials and resources available for learners. | | | | | | (6) Ensure that all appoints for the next day are confirmed, a re-booking should be made on the same day of receiving a cancellation. | | | | | | (7) Ensure communication with verifier / management, complete feedbacks, submit feedbacks etc. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Week 5| Date| Topics| Details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturday| Training and Review sessions. * Conduct training sessions * Start first review session using individual learning plan. * Provide feedbacks and set new mile stones. * Complete learners database * Liaise with management / verifier. * B ook sessions and confirm next day’s sessions / meetings * Complete all needed documents. | 9:00am to —- pm| (1) Ensure that there is a feedback from learners after each session. | | | | | (2) Ensure all reviews are carried out promptly, fairly, with positive and encouraging notes to it. Set new goals after a review of previous goals set in the individual learning plan. Adopt the PSP Mode. | | | | | (3) Ensure learner’s database is completed and booked next review session and one to one tutoring if need be. | | | | | (4) Ensure all documents are completed promptly and correctly. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Week 6| Date| Topics| details| Time| Notes| MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday| Training, Reviews and Tests| * Continue training sessions. * Continue reviews, setting new mile stones and providing feedbacks. Set Tests where needed depending on awarding body. * Liaise with management / verifier. * Book new appointments and confirm next day’s appointments. * Update Learners database * Complete various documents needed. | 9:00am to —-pm| (1) Set tests when required to do so by verifier and management. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | How to cite The Role of a Trainer / Assessor, Papers