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The Largest Recorded Tsunami Was 50 Years Ago
An anonymous reader writes "July marks the 50th anniversary of the world's largest tsunami — a 1,720-foot-tall wave in Lituya Bay, Alaska. It was triggered by a chain reaction of events that began with a magnitude 7.7 earthquake on the Fairweather Fault, which dislodged a rock fall of 40 million cubic yards, that fell 3,000 feet and splashed into the northwest end of Lituya Bay to generate the wave. This article includes survivor accounts, maps, a satellite image, and photos taken right after the event." To be fair, eyewitness accounts put the height of the wave as it came toward their boats at perhaps 100 feet. The tsunami scoured the land of vegetation and soil to a height of 1,720 feet above sea level, however.
There are only two things I can't stand in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures... and the Dutch.
This is a science article, right? Use SI units, kdawson.
This is kdawson we're talking about. We should be thankful he gave us any sort of units at all.
This guy's the limit!
There may have been one earlier, but the Hall of Records was mysteriously washed away 100 years ago.
mod me funny
Why does dividing by 10 matter so much, anyway? Because you have 10 fingers?
Because we use a base 10 counting system for most calculations. Having a measurement system that is highly compatible with the numeral system most humans use makes sense.
Really, we should be trying to move to a system of measure that is base 2.
Really? Go ahead and tell your mother you came 1011 miles to see her - I'm sure she'll be impressed.
I'd prefer that we used a hexadecimal system. It is large enough for brevity but also can readily be converted to binary for simplicity. The only advantage a base-10 system has over hexadecimal is that most people have 10_(10) fingers so they know how to count to 10_(10). If they were smart, they'd know how to count to 0x3FF (1023_(10)).
Suddenly, the hairy finger of a familiar monkey tapped me on the shoulder. It was time.--G. T.
You go ahead and pay $4 for a liter and I'll pay $4 for a gallon, that fact alone is reason enough to stick with US measurements.
Knowledge = Power
P= W/t
t=Money
Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make