The wall of water
Never having seen one, I called up some classic art. Somehow, I think the real ones are less graphic and a lot more terrifying.
There; a tidal wave, or tsunami. From a classic piece of Japanese art, to add to the relevance. Except that real life doesn’t always echo imagery. Today, Japan got hit, hard. An earthquake (and yes, the country does have more than its share), followed by the wrath of the sea. Somehow, it’s fitting that we use their term for what might other be a banal statement. Tsunami is verbally better than tidal wave, if it matters.
I come from an island. The idea of a wave is clear, from summers on the beach. Lots of examples, if you will. In the case of natural disaster, a tsunami is so much more.
Discovery Channel tried to provide a laboratory demonstration; a wave is just a wave. But when you remember that water can’t be compressed, the packet of energy released by a submarine tremor means that the tsunami carries a lot of power, even if on the surface things appear modest.
I was asked if our future home might be at risk, and I answered (truthfully) that I didn’t think so. Different part of the world, smaller reach across open water. Add in the boundary of a long uphill climb from the beach and we’re probably safe. But, having watched the television coverage this afternoon and evening from the tremor last evening in Japan, I’ll be much more attentive to any future alarm.
