What Causes a Tsunami? - Tsunami Geology
A tsunami is a large ocean wave that is caused by sudden motion on the ocean floor. This sudden motion could be an earthquake, a powerful volcanic eruption, or an underwater landslide. The impact of a large meteorite could also cause a tsunami.
Tsunamis - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2018年10月1日 · A tsunami is a series of extremely long waves caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean, usually the result of an earthquake below or near the ocean floor. This force creates waves that radiate outward in all directions away from their source, sometimes crossing entire ocean basins.
Tsunami Facts and Information - National Geographic
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves that sends surges of water, sometimes reaching heights of over 100 feet (30.5 meters), onto land. These walls of water can cause widespread destruction when...
How Are Tsunamis Formed? - American Oceans
A tsunami is a series of ocean waves with very long wavelengths (typically several hundred kilometers) caused by large-scale disturbances of the ocean, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides.
Tsunami | Definition, Meaning, & Facts | Britannica
2024年11月17日 · Tsunami, catastrophic ocean wave usually caused by a submarine earthquake, by a landslide, or by a volcanic eruption. In deep water it travels as fast as 800 km (500 miles) per hour, with enormous wavelengths of more than 500 km (310 miles) but small wave amplitudes of about 30 to 60 cm (1 to 2 feet).
Life of a Tsunami | U.S. Geological Survey - USGS.gov
Within several minutes of the earthquake, the initial tsunami (Panel 1) is split into a tsunami that travels out to the deep ocean (distant tsunami) and another tsunami that travels towards the nearby coast (local tsunami).
UCSB Science Line - UC Santa Barbara
A tsunami has four general stages: initiation, split, amplification, and run-up. During initiation, a large set of ocean waves are caused by any large and sudden disturbance of the sea surface, most commonly earthquakes but sometimes also underwater landslides.
Anatomy of a Tsunami - Geology Science
2023年8月12日 · Here’s a detailed overview of the process: The majority of tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes, especially those associated with subduction zones. Subduction zones occur where tectonic plates converge, and one plate is forced beneath another into the Earth’s mantle.
Tsunamis: how they form - Australian Geographic
2011年3月18日 · Scientists know what causes them and, following the advent of tsunami warning centres, can measure how fast they travel and when they may reach distant shores. But because each tsunami is unique and not all earthquakes produce them, there is still little known about where the worst waves will strike and how big they will be.
What causes a tsunami? An ocean scientist explains the physics of …
2022年1月19日 · Most waves are generated by wind as it blows over the ocean’s surface, transferring energy to and displacing the water. This process creates the waves you see at the beach every day. Tsunamis are...