but it wasn't that big (though it was my first tsunami that I've actually observed). Yesterday I roped Christine and my mom, with mchenry in tow, into heading down to the beach where I had the idea that I could collect a bunch of video of the chilean tsunami impacting the local beaches - and then speed it up (so one could actually see something). Sadly, the battery in my video camera died after only 14 minutes. But I've taken what I did collect and compressed it into about a minute of video. And, in the end, I am really not sure that you can make anything out, though the tsunami WAS evident on the beach as we stood there and watched. The harbor entrance in particular would turn into a river each time the trough of the wave impacted the shore (we watched for perhaps an hour, in which time maybe two wavelengths hit). As usual, I was curious to see the tsunami signature in the P.A. tidal gauge - and there it is. Surprisingly, the amplitude of the wave was about 25, same as was recorded in San Francisco, though the period of the wave appears to be different in the two locations...
and while the tsunami hitting our coast was more of a novelty, I think it is important to recognize that this one, like so many before (and the earthquake that generated it), took lives. My heart goes out to those that are still suffering as a result...
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