Tsunami

The tsunami of 2004

A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of water.

Causes

Tsunamis result from submarine earthquakes or other events that involve a large displacement of water such as landslides or volcanic eruptions.

Tsunamis do not have anything to do with the tides.

How it looks like

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning harbour (tsu) wave (nami).

A tsunami is not just one wave but a series of waves or a “wave train”. When tsunamis approach the coast, they slow down but increase in height. When an ocean begins to recede dramatically at the beach, it most likely means that a tsunami is very near and huge waves will arrive in a few seconds or minutes.

Animals can sense a tsunami approaching because of their superior sense of hearing. People who have survived tsunamis say that it sounds like standing near a moving freight train.

Geography Portal — Everything about geography, continents, regions, geology, water and climate...