More info on Wikipedia
Quick Facts
- Tsunami are called 'Seismic sea waves'
- The word 'tsunami' comes from Japanese and it means 'harbor'
- Japanese history is full of tsunamis, with about 195 instances
- A tsunami has a small amplitude (wave height) but a very long wavelength (hundreds of kilometers long)
- A tsunami cannot be prevented or correctly predicted
Expert summary
A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. A tsunami can be generated by various factors like earthquakes, mass movements above or below water, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, underwater earthquakes, large asteroid impacts, and nuclear explosions at sea. It is now realized that when converging or destructive plate boundaries suddenly move vertically displace the overlying water tsunamis may be generated. The immense volume of water involved and the tremendous amount of energy unleashed may make the tsunami very devastating. The first report of a tsunami can be found in the ancient Greek historian Thucydides. The most common form of tsunami is an extraordinarily high incoming tide.Recommended content
Websites (10)
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PBS.com- Waves of Destruction
Though it's true that tsunamis are ocean waves, calling them by the same name as the ordinary wind-driven variety is a bit like referring to firecrackers and atomic warheads both as "explosives." Triggered by volcanic eruptions, landslides, earthquakes, and even impacts by asteroids or comets, a tsunami represents a vast volume of seawater in motion -- the source of its destructive power. -
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National Geophysical Data Center
Natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes affect both coastal and inland areas. Long-term data from these events, including photographs, can be used to establish the past record of natural hazard event occurrences. These data are also important for planning, response, and mitigation of future events.
Videos (9)
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Tsunami Incredible Video Footages
A collection of video footages of the horrific and disastrous Tsunami, killing thousands, that struck Asia on Boxing Day- Sunday 26th December 2004. Please rate and comment. My Fifteenth video..
Photos (9)
Books (8)
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Tsunamis and other Natural Disasters
Grandson is collecting all the Magic Tree House books and guides--haven't had a chance to read this one w/him yet -- but we haven't been disappointed yet. These are great books for children -- 1st - 3rd grade level especially. The guides are more detailed than the stories --- so can read over and over at different ages and the child will understand more each time. -
Tsunami: The most terrifying Disaster
This book has some very interesting information on tsunamis. It has many pictures of the events of the 2004 tsunami, tells you how tsunamis occur and shows pictures of other tsunamis that have occured in history. It tells a few stories from survivors of the 2004 tsunami, talks about how each individual country was affected in detail and about the efforts that will be required to help get life back to normal . For the price it was value for money. -
Wave of destruction: the stories of four families and history's deadliest Tsunami
When I bought this book I expected to learn about what it was like to live through the world's worst natural disaster. The book did just that, but it was also so much more. I learned about four Thai families who have led very different lives than those of us in the United States. The book starts off by telling how these four families came to this fishing village. Most of them came out of desperation. Each of them had lost a family member from starvation or through other horrible circumstances. They had no money, no where to live, and would work for less than a dollar a day. For most of them, it took years to get on their feet. They slaved in tin mines, stole lobster out of Burmese traps like pirates, and took jobs with abusive bosses. You watch as they slowly piece together their lives, find love and hope. Then the tsunami hits. I had pictures in my head of what that day was like, but the picture the author paints through the people in the book is nothing like I imagined. It is fifty times worse. Dang, one of the women in the book, spent days looking for the body of her daughter. Then, when she was at her lowest, a company wanting to buy a hotel on her land, threatened to take her life if she returned. Wimon, another person in the book, lost eight members in his family. While he was looking for them, he realized that no help was coming to his village (it was all at the tourist spots) and put his grief on hold in order to get help to his neighbors.












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