BY NUMBERS
A devastating tsunami struck northern Japan Friday in the wake of a powerful earthquake. Here's a snapshot of Japan's tsunami "by the numbers:"
2011-03-11: The date that will be remembered for the occurrence of the most devastating natural disaster in Japanese history.
8.9: The magnitude of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami. This is the greatest magnitude earthquake to hit Japan since records have been kept.
6: The number of miles below the surface the earthquake occurred.
Japanese authorities expect the death toll to rise. So far, these are the numbers they've provided for the death toll and missing persons:
200 to 300
: Number of bodies found in Sendai.
88
: Confirmed deaths outside Sendai.
349
: The number of people missing.
10: The estimated height in meters of Japan's Friday tsunami.
1: Japan's place on the list of countries experiencing the greatest number of tsunamis.
50: The minimum number of countries on alert for tsunamis in the aftermath of Japan's disaster.
4 million: That's how many Tokyo residents are without power.
$10 billion: Preliminary estimates of the losses, according to Jefferies International, Ltd.
83.30: The value of the yen vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar in the aftermath of Friday's tsunami.
Here are some general tsunami numbers for context:
80: the percentage of tsunamis occurring in the Pacific Rim of Fire.
500: tsunami estimated top speed in miles per hour. Tsunami velocity exceeds by a factor of ten the velocity of normal ocean waves. A tsunami travels at speeds similar to a jet airplane.
100: top estimated height of tsunamis, in feet.
10 to 12: Average number of years between Pacific Tsunamis.
3: The height in meters required for a tsunami to be classified as "major." 3 is also the number of minutes elapsed on average from earthquake to issuance of a tsunami advisory or warning.
500: The average tsunami wavelength, measured in kilometers. The normal wavelength of an ocean wave is 100 meters.
5: An earthquake occurs on average every 5 minutes in Japan. Earthquakes are the most frequent trigger of tsunamis.
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