Tidal wave to hit South Coast

[pugwash]

Volcanic activity is set to shake loose a chunk of the canary Islands twice as big as the Isle of Man and trigger a tidal wave that will devastate all of eastern America and send a 30-foot tsunami into the South Coast and West Country. I have asked my boat yard for a longer mooring strop.

But am I right to think that once we get warning of it's approach, the safest thing will be to jump in our boats and head out to sea?

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[Cobra]

Aye! We're all doooooooooomed Captain Mainwaring!

<hr width=100% size=1>When God invented time he didn't give me enough of it. ND!

 

[DogStar]

Is it the island of La Palma, you're referring to? I heard about that a few years ago. It has to do with moisture saturating the porous layers of ash between non-porous layers of basalt, and an eruption possibly causing the moisture to boil, thus sliding about half the island into the sea. I seem to remember them talking about the possibility of waves in excess of 100 meters high and travelling at 200+mph being generated by landslides such as this - far larger than any storm generated wave.

For the poor old Septics I don't think there is any safe way of riding out these types of wave, no matter how far out to see you were, because it travels with an almost vertical face - a wall of water.

I didn't know that we were in line to get any of it, or is it the reflected wave that will hit us?

<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!

 

[bedouin]

I think any boat out in the deep ocean will be fine - the wavelength of the wave is so great that they will hardly notice it. Once it hits the continental shelf then things might get a bit dicey.

We should get about 4-5 hours warning of the wave striking, so if you think you can get from your mooring to deep ocean in that length of time then go for it.

I'm really not sure how a yacht would cope with a 200' breaking wave...



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[AndrewB]

>>I'm really not sure how a yacht would cope with a 200' breaking wave...<<

Dunno about the yacht, but I'm waxing up my board!




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[Sans Bateau]

After the exclusion of terrorist action from the insurance policy, I can see it now:

Exluclusion clause xxxx Any damage or flooding as a result of tidal waves caused by volcanic activity.

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[Cobra]

Imagine riding the tube on that one!!

<hr width=100% size=1>When God invented time he didn't give me enough of it. ND!

 

[jimi]

Don't think you'd be able to take the drop ..y ou'd have to paddle at 195mph to catch it .. and then contend with a 200mph wind when carving!

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[halcyon]

The question is, will Falmouth act as a breakwater to a 200' wave, or do I pack in finishing the house.

Brian

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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[Neraida]

Probly a better idea to head as far inland as possible and as high up too.

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[Walnut]

Horizon did a program on it a year or two ago. They said the US Eastern seaboard would be washed away twenty miles inshore. At sea the wavelength would be about a mile and only 200 meters high. The magnitude of the wave will increase because as the depth shallows, the bottom part of the wave slows down and the top bit catches up forming a mile high wall of water. The South Coast of UK will be affected but only by a 30ft wave. They showed that this has happened before in Canada where some fishing boat were in a remote bay surrounded by mountains. One of the boats was washed was washed inshore and deposited half a mile up the mountain. It was cause by a large landslide. the forest around the lower end of the bay were washed away to a tide line 1/2 mile high. They didn't know when the Canary Island rock would fall. I think they said sometime in the next 900 years.

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[pugwash]

What will people do?

No, a breaking wave is bad news but a hump on the ocean wouldn't be noticed even by a small vessel. All depends at what stage the wave starts to peak up and become vertical; after that it would soon begin to break..

Years ago when I was a boy in Auckland (NZ) a big earthquake occurred in Chile and the local radio broadcast warnings that a tsunami was heading across the Pacific. Half the population drove down to the Auckland waterfront and beaches to watch it come in!

All that happened was that the tide came in and out three times in the space of a couple of hours. I happened to be voyaging along the coast in a little freighter and didn't know a thing about it.

But I often wonder how many thousands and thousands would have been killed had things turned out a little differently.

Me? I'm going to follow Fatipa's advice and grab the top bunk. With my liferaft as a pillow.

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[dralex]

If you're planning on surfing it, you'll need a helicopter tow in!

<hr width=100% size=1>Life's too short- do it now./forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[claymore]

I understand that women float better than men so perhaps if you slept on the top bunk on top of her?
Anyway, must be off - I'm just putting some finishing touches to the shelter stone at the top of Helvellyn

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple>regards
Claymore<font color=purple>
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[Twister_Ken]

Sorry to give bad news

Helvellyn expected to collapse into Red Tarn. Waters will sweep down into Ullswater and a 50 foot high wall of water will race down River Eden, totally wiping out Carlisle and depositing its remains into Solway Firth.

According to the BBC, damage is estimated to be well over 50 quid.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>

 

[IanPoole2]

You'll be alright - Brightlingsea will be protected by the South & London!

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[Peppermint]

Re: I\'d like to thank everyone

for the info.

I intend to do nothing about it.

If I wake up to find my boat in my front garden I'll let the survivors know.

Living in the Chiltern Hills that would indeed be a noteworthy wave.

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[pugwash]

It was Alaska, actually. Scary as hell. There are pictures of the bay before and after. One side of the bay collapsed into the water, displacing the water which shot up the other side taking boats and trees with it. At least some of the fishermen survived.

Years ago I met a copra trader on Tanna in the New Hebrides who was sauntering through the coconut palms towards the beach where his boat was anchored when he realised the water was rushing out, the reefs were draining and fish were flapping about in the air. Next he saw a sort of hump on the horizon as the sea came in again. He ran across the sand to his boat, jumped in as the water struck, and was carried through the palms. When he banged alongside a teak tree he threw a rope round it and the boat was moored. The sea came in and out three times in a few minutes. After half an hour it was all over -- except his boat was 200 yards inland and on dry land. But that was only a twelve-foot surge.

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[kunyang]

I've just read a book by Patrick Robinson which details this scenario, am I being cynical if I believe the story has arisen again because of this adventure tale about Al'Qaida and missiles trying yet again to destroy the world. Good book though!

Dave

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