Tsunamis wave is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water.

The huge displacement can be caused by Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions.

How Earthquakes Cause Tsunamis

The illustration below shows a subduction earthquake (one where a denser plates shifts below its neighboring plate, at left). Energy is transferred and the displaced water forms a wave. As the wave travels and enters shallower water in the coastal area, it begins to increase in amplitude (National Geographic).

Tsunamis are not always colossal waves when they come into the shore. In fact, "... most tsunamis do not result in giant breaking waves (like normal surf waves at the beach that curl over as they approach shore). Rather, they come in much like very strong and very fast tides (i.e., a rapid, local rise in sea level)." (USGS website) Nevertheless, there is destruction of life and of property by floating debris and impact of water. The tsunami produces a series of rushing waves and also a series of withdrawals.

If you think about throwing a rock in water, a ripple is formed. It is the same principle involving a meteor or an earthquake, except they form bigger ripples. If you think about that ripple, it seems to disappear as time goes on--but in actuality, it does not stop. In the picture below we can see that a tsunami is very fast (the speed often compared with that of a jet) and it has a height of 20 inches.

However, we need to take into consideration the effect of the tsunami reaching the shore. The speed is diminished but the wave height is increased drastically.

How Volcanoes Cause Tsunamis

There are two different ways that volcanoes can cause seismic waves. One possibility is for a land-based volcano to break down and collapse, forcing large amounts of ash and debris into the water. This sudden change and displacement of the water column transfers to kinetic energy and results in waves. More debris can create a bigger increase in wave amplitude and number.

Tsunamis can also be induced by submarine volcanoes. These underwater volcanoes can collapse downwards or spew forth lava heating the surrounding water quickly.

How Landslides Cause Tsunamis

Landslides are similar to volcanoes that avalanche into the sea. They occur in the water and often are triggered by earthquakes. There is an instance in 1958 where a tsunami was caused by rockfall in Lituya Bay, Alaska. In this instance, a gigantic boulder was loosed by an earthquake and fell into the bay causing a tsunami that went out to sea.

Tsunami effects
The effects of a tsunami are devastating. They are one of the world's worst natural disasters that can hit a country. Tsunami damage is first caused by the immense force of the tidal wave hitting the shoreline. Tsunami flooding then continues to cause damage for several more weeks. The effects of the tsunami on the country during this period range fromdestruction and damage, death, injury, millions of dollars in financial loss, and long lasting psychological problems for the inhabitants of the region. The initial impact of the tsunami is often publicised across the world through the news media. However, the actual effects continue for many years after the natural disaster strikes. For many of the people affected, they will never forget the terrifying ordeal of being caught in a tsunami. The scars that are inflicted on the land can be present for decades to come, and this only serves as a reminder to people living in the area of the terrible losses caused by the tsunami, and the lingering danger that yet another killer tidal wave could strike at any moment with very little warning.

The tsunami warning system consists of sensors that can detect tsunamis and communications system that could alarm to allow evacuation of coastal areas. Since tsunamis move at 0.14 to 0.28 km/s and earthquake waves at 4 km/s, it is assumed that, when an earthquake is confirmed, there is enough time to predict a tsunami.

To reduce the effect of a tsunami, a tsunami wall of 4.5 meters in height can be constructed in populated coastal areas. Floodgates and channels can be built to redirect the water from the tsunami, and the shore can be covered with trees. All these slow down and moderate a tsunami. However, they cannot totally prevent the destruction and loss of life.

Before a tsunami Watch out for warning signs. Remember to run uphill when you are near the shore and you felt an earthquake, when you observe animals heading uphill or away from the shore, or when you observe the water at the beaches recede into the sea. During a Tsunami If you run uphill on the first warning signs, you will probably have enough time to reach safe high ground. If not, the only thing you can try is to climb up a tree, although there is no assurance that the water will not reach you. The best thing is to run at the firstwarning signs or when an evacuation announcement has been made. After a Tsunami You will have to wait for some time to make sure there are no other waves coming after the first wave before you clear up the debris. A tsunami is a series of waves. The first wave may not be the most dangerous. The waves may come five minutes apart to an hour apart. The cycle may be marked by repeated retreating and advancing of the ocean or sea. Do not go to the shore once the first wave has gone. Expect more to come.

the collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, together with smaller bodies in the form of asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

the galaxy containing the solar system; consists of millions of stars that can be seen as a diffuse band of light stretching across the night sky

an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, containing an arrangement of lenses, or of curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are collected and focused and the resulting image magnified.

an apparatus for producing and recording spectra for examination.

a blunt-ended surgical instrument used for exploring a wound or part of the body.

Astronomer
A scientist who studies the universe and the celestial bodies residing in it, including their composition, history, location, and motion. A scientist who studies celestial objects using visible light is called an optical astronomer while one who studies celestial objects in the radio wavelengths is called a radio astronomer.

light year- a unit of astronomical distance equivalent to the distance that light travels in one year, which is 9.4607 1012 km (nearly 6 trillion miles).

Star- A ball of mostly hydrogen and helium gas that shines extremely brightly. Our Sun is a star. A star is so massive that its core is extremely dense and hot. At the high core temperatures of a star, atoms move so fast that they sometimes stick to other atoms when they collide with them, forming more massive atoms and releasing a great amount of energy. This process is known as nuclear fusion.

constellation- a group of stars forming a recognizable pattern that is traditionally named after its apparent form or identified with a mythological figure. Modern astronomers divide the sky into eighty-eight constellations with defined boundaries.

Galaxy
A collection of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity. The smallest galaxies may contain only a few hundred thousand stars, while the largest galaxies have thousands of billions of stars. The Milky Way galaxy contains our solar system