Aloha and welcome to the big island of Hawaii. I have been here two times and this is my first time to the Tsunami Clock and thought it would be a great place for an earthcache.
This clock was working on the very second the tsunami rushed in from Hilo Bay. Since things don't work in water the clock stopped at the time. The clock was broken but not totally destroyed. Unfortunately, 61 people lost their lives in the aftermath. This clock was restored and was going to be fixed, but at the last second it wasn't and the site was turned into a memorial to those 61 people.
According to USGS and CBS, the earthquake that caused the tsunami record an 8.8 on the Richter Scale and it destroyed over 500 homes. It was the largest recorded in the Pacific region in nearly fifty years! It came all the way from Chile and hit the island 15 hours later causing the 35-foot wave. Other places were not as lucky as Hilo. The wave struck Japan killing 138 people. With no signs of warning, the tsunami killed a total of 1886 people world wide. The total cost of damage was about $625 million dollars.
Bays always get hit the hardest because of their shape. The crescent shape of bays often bounce waves back and fourth in the bay. If you look on the photo below, you will get what I'm saying. SO always be on the look out if you are surfing or scuba diving or swimming at a beach for bays. If you see a Tsunami Evacuation area, then this means that this is where you would to if the sirens go off, but even if you don't hear one doesn't mean there is one. If you feel an earthquake, even a small one you should evacuated to higher ground or inland immediately.
During the 1960 tsunami they didn't have the tsunami sirens like we have today, but now we do. And if you hear one, don't ever wait around to see the wave because they are deadly! This area where the clock is was underwater during the tsunami, but you can't tell right now. Just about a year ago there was a tsunami in Hawaii that did a direct hit. The wave luckly was not deadly and the state of Hawaii evacuated everyone just in time.
A Tsunami forms when a subduction fault zone under water and the earth's crust that builds up pressure and slips. This first is an earthquake, but the shock wave is what causes the tsunami. A fisherman boat might be right on top of the origin of the tsunami but never knew it even happened. This is because the ocean can be miles deep and theres a lot of room for the shock wave to pass but as it moves closer it slows down in speed and builds up a wall of water as it moves closer to shore. A tsunami have can travel at 500 MPH an hour out in open water and about 100 MPH in shallow water.
TO LOG A FIND ON THIS CACHE YOU MUST GIVE ME THE CORECT ANSWERS BEFORE YOU LOG A FIND. YOU CAN CONTACT ME THROUGH MY EMAIL OR THE GEOCACHING MESSAGE CENTER. ANY INCORRECT ANSWERS WILL RESULT IN A DELETED LOG
1. "Tsunami Clock" on the first line of your email AND list all geocaching names of your party so I can match your answers to them. If you all want to learn something, I would prefer each cacher send me individual emails in the spirt of earthcaching.
2. Take a photo of you (or your signature item if you don't want to show your face) with the clock face within the picture. This must be added to your "found it" log. Do not message me your photos for credit. Each found it log must contain a distinct and unique photo. No group sharing of the same photo is allowed!
3. According to the plaque at the base of the clock, what was the exact time and date the clock stoped?
4. Why do you think the flooding area was so close to the shore even though the wave was about 35 feet tall? Why do you think flooding did not go too far inland?
5. There was a Tsunami that hit Hawaii in early 2010. Why do you think it produced a very small wave and not the 35 foot have that hit Hilo in 1960 even though that they both came from the same place (Chile)?
6. Based on your observations of the area imediatly around the clock, is there a current Tsunami threat? What has the city done to prepare for one? Explain your answer by giving examples.
Caches with the 'Cruise Ship' photo
- are pedestrian friendly,
- within walking distance of the pier.