En anglais

Tsunamis

Science · Volcanoes & Earthquakes · ages 7-9

Name ______________________ Date ____________

How fast can a tsunami travel across the open ocean?
- Slower than a person walking
- Hundreds of miles per hour, faster than a speeding car
- About as fast as a bike ride
What usually causes a tsunami to start?
- An earthquake or eruption under the sea
- Strong wind blowing over the ocean
- Heavy rain falling on the ocean
A tsunami can badly damage towns along the coast.
Circle one: True False
Look at the graph. A car on the highway travels 100 miles per hour. A tsunami at sea travels 500 miles per hour. How many miles per hour faster is the tsunami?
Answer: ______________
Deep under the ocean, an earthquake suddenly jolts the sea floor upward. What is most likely to happen next?
- Nothing happens at the surface
- The ocean becomes perfectly still
- A tsunami may form and start moving toward the coast
A tsunami rushes into a coastal town. What is most likely to happen?
- The streets flood and buildings get damaged
- The town gets a light, gentle rain
- The tsunami turns into snow
An earthquake happens under the ocean, far from any coast. Why might people on a nearby coastline have very little time to get to safety?
- Because tsunamis move so slowly that no one notices them
- Because tsunamis only happen once every hundred years
- Because a tsunami can race across the ocean at hundreds of miles per hour
Mateo says a tsunami is made by strong winds blowing across the ocean. What did Mateo get wrong?
- Nothing, wind really does cause every tsunami
- Tsunamis start from an earthquake or eruption under the sea, not wind
- Tsunamis are actually made by rain falling into the ocean

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

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Hundreds of miles per hour, faster than a speeding car · In deep water, a tsunami can travel at hundreds of miles per hour, much faster than a car.
An earthquake or eruption under the sea · Tsunamis begin when an earthquake or an eruption under the sea suddenly moves a huge amount of water.
True · When a tsunami reaches land, it can flood streets, knock over cars, and damage buildings.
400 · 500 miles per hour minus 100 miles per hour leaves 400 miles per hour.
A tsunami may form and start moving toward the coast · A sudden jolt of the sea floor can push a huge wall of water outward, starting a tsunami.
The streets flood and buildings get damaged · A tsunami carries a huge amount of water onto land, which can flood streets and damage buildings.
Because a tsunami can race across the ocean at hundreds of miles per hour · Even though the earthquake was far away, a tsunami can cross the ocean fast, giving people little warning time.
Tsunamis start from an earthquake or eruption under the sea, not wind · Wind can make regular waves, but a tsunami starts from a sudden earthquake or eruption under the sea.