Tsunami (soo-nah-mee) is a Japanese word which means “harbor wave” and sometimes referred as “tidal waves”. When the 8.9 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, a massive tsunami devastated the city killing a lot of people and leaving a tragic end. But have you ever wonder why tsunamis are formed?
Tsunamis are created when the sea floor is deform abruptly and it displaces a large volume of water usually an ocean, thought it also occur on large lakes. Disturbances above or below that can displace a large mass of water from its equilibrium position is said to cause tsunamis.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, land slides and other mass movements are some of the potential reasons that cause tsunamis.
Tsunami Fact:
- Tsunami wave can be very long (as much as 60 miles, or 100 kilometers) and be as far as one hour apart. They are able to cross entire oceans without great loss energy.
- A tsunami wave can travel unnoticed on the surface at a speed of 500 miles an hour (800 kilometers an hour) crossing an ocean in a day or less.
- There are times tsunami wave is unnoticed by sailors; it sometimes measures less than a foot (30 centimeters).
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