Tsunami
A tsunami (pronounced soo-NAH-mee) is a set of ocean waves that are most commonly generated by earthquakes in coastal regions. When an earthquake occurs, the vertical shifting of ocean and continental plates essentially stir up energy within the ocean and this results in the large or long-lasting waves we call tsunamis.
Tsunamis appear as rapidly advancing or receding tides or bores, which are giant walls of water. Unlike regular waves, tsunami waves do not break as they arrive on shore, and instead behave more like flood waves, rushing inland for a period of time before receding.
Predicting when a tsunami will happen is difficult, but once an earthquake occurs, scientists can map when and where a tsunami will arrive using deep-ocean data. This is useful in warning people who live inland on a tsunami’s path.
Source: NOAA.gov's Tsunami page
(Text: Noel Kirkpatrick)
Photo: Coco et Jo/Flickr
Articles about Tsunami
Thu, May 24 2012 at 1:32 PM EST
Items washed away by the 2011 tsunami are already arriving in North America, raising fears of an environmental crisis from Alaska to California.Tue, May 01 2012 at 2:24 AM EST
A motorcycle that washed ashore on Canada's west coast may have drifted across the Pacific after last year's devastating Japanese tsunami.Mon, Apr 23 2012 at 6:55 AM EST
An eagle-eyed beachcomber in the Gulf of Alaska spotted the errant soccer ball.Thu, Apr 19 2012 at 3:07 PM EST
Using shells deposited in the sand and data gathered by the sea floor, scientists validated Herodotus' account of a wave wiping out an army.Wed, Apr 11 2012 at 11:11 AM EST
The earthquake was triggered by oceanic plates moving side to side, not up and down. This kind of an earthquake rarely triggers a tsunami.Fri, Apr 06 2012 at 2:04 AM EST
The ship was sunk with bursts of heavy gunfire when it drifted into Alaskan waters more than a year after being set adrift by a devastating tsunami.Tue, Apr 03 2012 at 9:32 AM EST
Researchers estimate it will take at least a year for the radioactive material released at Fukushima to get across the Pacific Ocean.Wed, Mar 14 2012 at 8:39 AM EST
Little apparent damage is caused by series of quakes that rattle northeastern Japan, which just marked the year anniversary of last year’s devastating tsunami.Mon, Mar 12 2012 at 12:04 PM EST
One year after Japan's Fukushima crisis began, the U.S. nuclear chief says American reactors should adopt safety reforms more quickly.Sun, Mar 11 2012 at 9:29 AM EST
As the country marked the first anniversary of the tragedy, Yoshihiko Noda urged people to pitch in to help dispose of the rubble.- 1. Solar Storm
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