Nation set to suffer aftershocks for months
NUI Galway lecturer in geography, Dr Kevin Hickey said while the television images of the 6-10 metre tsunami are terrifying, the Japanese are as prepared for such eventualities as anyone can be. The tsunami wave was generated as a massive earthquake off the northeastern coast displaced a huge body of water, causing it to move at a ferocious speed.
“Most people are killed in tsunamis by falling debris. It’s not really a wave, you see, it’s a wall of water travelling with huge force. There are substantial coastal barriers and electronically operated gates along the coastal areas of Japan. Japan also has a system of raised platforms around the coast where people can run to safety. However, as this earthquake has shown, you can’t completely enclose a coastline,” he said.