The world recently witnessed again the devastating impact of earthquakes and their aftermaths. The enormous 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile in February was followed by tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean. While the earthquake-caused tsunamis were not nearly as devastating as those that occurred in Indonesia in 2004, we once again witnessed just how catastrophic they can be.
Thankfully, the loss of life wasn’t nearly as bad in the recent Chile earthquake and tsunami aftermath as what occurred in Indonesia, but the environmental impact still could be significant.
Experts point out that a variety of negative consequences can follow a tsunami. First, depending on its severity, a tsunami can cause salt water to infiltrate water wells; in addition, the flooding from tsunamis can virtually destroy many wells. In fact, according to sciencedaily.com, residents of Sri Lanka who experienced the deadly 2004 tsunami are still struggling with water quality issues caused by the devastating impact of the tsunami. Once a well has been destroyed or severely contaminated, residents are forced to secure their water someplace else, something that isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
In addition to salt water contamination and the destruction of wells, tsunamis also have the potential to pollute wells and water supplies with other contaminants, thus confirming their uselessness.
Even if you live in an area that is not subject to coastal flooding, the recent earthquakes and tsunamis should remind us all of their devastating impact and of our diligence in achieving and protecting our safe water supply.
Related posts:
- Global Warming and Its Effects on Water Quality
- Global Warming and Recreational Water Quality
- Earthquake in Haiti Results in Need for Clean Drinking Water
- Public Needs to be Better Educated on Water Bourne Illnesses
- What Exactly Is Water Quality?
