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What is a tsunami
a.A tsunami is a very long ocean wave
generated by sudden displacement of the
sea floor or of the oceanic mass
b.The displacement of an equivalent volume
of water generates the tsunami
II. Terminology
a.The term tsunami is a Japanese word
meaning harbor wave
b.It was so named because the wave is
harmless until it enters a harbor
c. It is frequently called a tidal wave, but it
has nothing to do with tides
III. Hazards and risks of tsunamis
a.Tsunamis can hit with little or no warning
b.4,000 people have been killed between
1990 and 2000
c. The most prone areas are those associated
with earthquakes and volcanoes (mainly
subduction zones)
IV. Locally-generated tsunamis
a.The subduction zone of Cascadia has
potential for very large offshore quakes (M
8)
b.There is a great danger of locallygenerated tsunamis here, since they
travel so fast
c. Many large cities are found on the coast
V. Structure of a wave
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