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What is a Tsunami?
The term tsunami comes from the Japanese, meaning
harbor (tsu) and wave(nami). And it is also known as a
Seismic Sea Wave.
Tsunamis are sometimes referred to as Tidal waves. In recent
years, this term has fallen out of favor, especially in the
scientific community because tsunami actually have nothing
to do with tides. Tsunami and Tides both produce waves of
water that move inland but in the case of tsunami the inland
movement of water is much greater and lasts longer period
giving the impression of an incredibly high tide. Tsunami
actually have nothing to do with Tides which are produced
by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun rather than the
displacement of water.
A Tsunami is a series of traveling ocean waves of extremely
long length generated by disturbances associated primarily
with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean floor.
Tsunamis are primarily the result of a vertical displacement
of water and rank high on the scale of natural disasters. Most
tsunamis about 80%, happen within the Pacific Oceans
Ring of Fire a geologically active area where tectonic shifts
make volcanoes and earthquakes common.
A Tsunami can travel at well over 970 kph (600 mph) in the
open ocean as fast as a jet flies. It can take only a few hours
for a tsunami to travel across an entire ocean.
Earthquakes, volcanic Eruptions and other underwater
explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear
devices) landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and