# Surviving an enormous Tsunami….(Meteor quality) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 21, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747 "2003-08-21T19:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sarcastro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sarcastro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarcastro)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/21 "2003-08-28T16:11:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > **As I recall from the movie, the World Trade Center survived the impact of the wave (I remember the scene of the water flowing between the buildings). Could one hold out in a well-enough built and tall-enough building?** I didn’t believe it would hold up at the time, and, given subsequent real-life events, I think we can definitively say that the WTC wouldn’t have survived a thousand-foot tidal wave. I think that the strength required of a building if it were to survive a wave like this would be far, far beyond our current technological and engineering limits. Realistically, I think, if the wave in Deep Impact actually hit Manhattan, it would pretty much scrape it down to bedrock. If anything, the movie dramatically underestimated the force and power of that wave (but the scene was spectacular anyway). ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/22 "2003-08-28T16:36:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ready29003 \* > \*\*Hot air balloon~~~!!! > > It could be stored in rather a small area…and blown up when needed. > Ale you’re a genius! That is the best alternative suggestion I have heard so far! > > Except if there were tons of people on the ground doomed in traffic jams and pissed off…they might start shooting guns at me and my family in the air… \*\* Nix that idea. Re: Wall of wind, as mentioned above. You do -not- want to be up in the air at the mercy of said winds. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/23 "2003-08-28T18:42:54Z")
Surely this depends upon how high you float? If you’re above the winds then you’re fine; if you’re not you get driven before them and you _may_ be fine. Balloon sounds best to me. Of course, this presumes that (a) you have enough material and can sew a big enough balloon fast enough (balloons are **big** ) and (b) you can inflate it fast enough. Me? Lacking the above, I’d find a nearby old castle. Those big, thick stone walls should provide a breakwater long enough for the wave to pass. ---
**Author:** ![ready29003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@ready29003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ready29003)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/24 "2003-08-28T19:39:09Z")
Could someone please tell me the nearest old castle to Sequim Washington State USA? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/25 "2003-08-28T20:13:20Z")
is the bubble idea that bad / not feasible at all? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/26 "2003-08-28T20:28:40Z")
[Zorb](http://www.zorb.com/) will save you. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/27 "2003-08-28T20:36:09Z")
I remember [this](http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/2000/mega_tsunami.shtml) programme some time ago. Scientists were postulating whether any likely ares of the earth could produce a tsunami, and they found one, they think. Quote: “The growing concern is that the ideal conditions for just such a landslide - and consequent mega-tsunami - now exist on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. In 1949 the southern volcano on the island erupted. During the eruption an enormous crack appeared across one side of the volcano, as the western half slipped a few metres towards the Atlantic before stopping in its tracks. Although the volcano presents no danger while it is quiescent, scientists believe the western flank will give way completely during some future eruption on the summit of the volcano. In other words, any time in the next few thousand years a huge section of southern La Palma, weighing 500 thousand million tonnes, will fall into the Atlantic ocean.” The resultant tsunami (if all this really occurs) will hit the eastern coast of the USA. If you choose the Transcript button at he bottom of the page you can read what the programme was all about V ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/28 "2003-08-28T20:36:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ready29003 \* > \*\*Could someone please tell me the nearest old castle to Sequim Washington State USA? \*\* [30 Miles.](http://www.manresacastle.com/) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/29 "2003-08-29T01:34:07Z")
Are we sure that a balloon is a bad idea? I’d be looking for something [like this](http://home.earthlink.net/~quade/lawnchair.html). 16,000 feet would seem to pretty safe from wave-wind effects (although cold and thin air would have their obvious dangers). Like Boy Scouts and Batman: be prepared. While the wave would recede, think what a foot of rain does to a place and how long it takes to drain off. Multiply. Any soil, now mud, that wasn’t washed all the way into the ocean will take weeks to dry out enough to walk on. And the scouring effect would be horrendous. Coastal skyscrapers wouldn’t be just knocked down. You wouldn’t be able to find the footings. Bedrock moves easily under such conditions. There’s some nice footage around of house size rocks flowing thru the Grand Canyon during floods. And that’s just a river. As noted before, the scablands of SE Washington show what a “small” volume of water can do even when spread over a large area. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/30 "2003-08-29T02:04:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wonder9 \* > \*\*As I remember that book, the next scene after that surfer dud catches that huge wave is that he sees a skyscraper suddenly appear before him and he gets smacked like a fly on the wall… Not a good plan. \*\* His death is not reported in the book – just that he’s heading for a tall building when last seen. Larry Niven mentioned in _X-Space_ (a retrospective of his work for which he did new intros. and commentary) that one of the most requested scenes/plot elements regarding a potential sequel was that he live through it. (No word on them actually writing the sequel though.) ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/31 "2003-08-29T02:43:10Z")
I think that 6000 feet are a reasonable safety height against a 1000 feet tsunami; besides a balloon floats WITH the air mass it´s in; so even if the wind was 200 MPH the people on the balloon wouldn´t notice it. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/32 "2003-08-29T02:45:35Z")
Uhhh… let´s make that 9000 feet just in case. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/33 "2003-08-29T07:42:48Z")
I understand that Michael Jackson owns a submarine for just such an occasion. I’d personally own a 'copter as mentioned above, but that’s just me. 😃 About the underground idea: I imagine the outrushing water _might_ be abrasive, but I don’t think it would be that bad since it’s not contained, and you can build for it. I’d be more worried about being buried in debris. Being safe 150’ underground in a tin can doesn’t make me feel that good if I only started out 100’ down. Better pack a shovel. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![refusal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac91a4/32.png) [@refusal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/refusal)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/34 "2003-08-29T15:03:15Z")
I think a cave in a cliff in the side of a mountain facing away from the tsunami would be pretty ideal, providing the cave didn’t slope downwards into the mountain too much. Even if water washes over the mountain, most of it should miss the cave mouth and what goes in will be travelling very slowly. The cave entrance would be unlikely to be seriously blocked, and unless the whole mountain collapses you shold be ok. You could probably get a similar effect with a castle on the far side of the mountain. A mass of water at 400 miles per hour (180 metres/sec) has enough energy to rise one mile (1600 metres), neglecting friction. And for water rising over other water, friction isn’t going to be very great. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/35 "2003-08-29T16:57:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Polycarp \* > \*\*His death is not reported in the book – just that he’s heading for a tall building when last seen. > > Larry Niven mentioned in _X-Space_ (a retrospective of his work for which he did new intros. and commentary) that one of the most requested scenes/plot elements regarding a potential sequel was that he live through it. (No word on them actually writing the sequel though.) \*\* Reminds me of Snake Pliskin and the Peter Fonda charactor in the abominal **Escape from L.A.** ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/36 "2003-08-29T18:22:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zev\_steinhardt \* > As I recall from the movie, the World Trade Center survived the impact of the wave (I remember the scene of the water flowing between the buildings). Could one hold out in a well-enough built and tall-enough building? > \*\* No. The Trade Centers couldn’t survive a 100 ton airplane strike, let alone a billion tons of fast moving water. Assuming the structure could survive being hit with a big wave (which it can’t), water would break into every opening and instantly flood the entire building which is still under thousands of feet of water. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by refusal \*I think a cave in a cliff in the side of a mountain facing away from the tsunami would be pretty ideal, providing the cave didn’t slope downwards into the mountain too much. \*\* Funny thing about water. It flows into stuff. ready29003 - You might as well build your pod out of aluminum foil for all the good it would do. A 5000 foot wave like Deep Impact would crush anything you could put together in 10 hours with about 2000 psi of pressure. The only way to not be killed is to get above it with an aircraft or head out to deep water. A tsunami in the open sea travels 600mph and has a very long wavelength so it’s height is only a few feet (essentially undetectable if you’re bobing along in a boat). As it approaches the shore, it piles up on itself - slowing, but also gaining height. ---
**Author:** ![spogga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@spogga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spogga)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/37 "2003-08-29T18:38:24Z")
Personally I’d just stand looking at the approaching wave and mutter Oh Shit!..I never paid the gas bill ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/38 "2003-08-29T18:41:35Z")
Being in a nitpicking mood today, I must point out that a _tsunami_ is a large wave caused by seismic activity (earthquake, volcano, landslide, etc.). A meteor would not cause a tsunami, however it maybe would create a “meteoric shock wave”. Also, can anyone find a cite for the size and speed of the shock wave? My intuition says a meteor large enough to create a such a large wave would actually vaporize the water instead. The friction of the wave with the air/water it’s trying to move through would probably heat everything up to much higher than 100 deg C. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/39 "2003-08-29T19:55:16Z")
There will be plenty of vaporized water, but since we’re talking ocean strike here, you can’t vaporize the whole thing and what’s left will certainly, um, oscillate (no, we don’t need any Madonna + Brittany remarks here). The shock wave in the water would not be the only destructive effect. As the vaporized water condenses, salt-water rain and extensive cloud cover would cause brutal ecologic changes. That’s what got the dinos. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747/40 "2003-08-29T19:55:57Z")
> [@](#): > > A 5000 foot wave like Deep Impact would crush anything you could put together in 10 hours with about 2000 psi of pressure. I get 2343.75 psi. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-an-enormous-tsunami-meteor-quality/196747.md?page=3)