In our Tsunami exhibit, a tsunami wave is created by causing a landslide on the left side of the tank. Visitors pull on a rope, raising a wedge-shaped sled up a ramp. As the visitor releases the rope, the sled slides down the ramp and into the water, creating a wave. The wave propagates across the tank, cresting and splashing up a “beach” that is a ramp rising up from the bottom of the tank. Along the beach are a few scale model houses. As the wave reaches the “shoreline”, it begins to break and crashes over the houses.

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A camera records the events and with the push of a button, the wave crash can be replayed at a slower speed. The video is played back several times before it resets to a live feed.

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This exhibit was designed with technical tsunami input from Dr. Philip Watts.

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Location:

Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK