| What is a Tsunami? |
The phenomenon we call tsunami is a series of large waves of extremely long wavelength and period usually generated by a violent, impulsive undersea disturbance or activity near the coast or in the ocean.
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| How Do Earthquakes Generate Tsunamis? |
By far, the most destructive tsunamis are generated from large, shallow earthquakes with an epicenter or fault line near or on the ocean floor. These usually occur in regions of the earth characterized by tectonic subduction along tectonic plate boundaries.
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| How Do Submarine Landslides, Rock Falls and Underwater Slumps Generate Tsunamis? |
Less frequently, tsunami waves can be generated from displacements of water resulting from rock falls, icefalls and sudden submarine landslides or slumps. Such events may be caused impulsively from the instability and sudden failure of submarine slopes, which are sometimes triggered by the ground motions of a strong earthquake.
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| How Do Volcanic Eruptions Generate Tsunamis? |
Although relatively infrequent, violent volcanic eruptions represent also impulsive disturbances, which can displace a great volume of water and generate extremely destructive tsunami waves in the immediate source area.
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| Can Asteroids, Meteorites or Man-Made Explosions Cause Tsunamis? |
Fortunately, for mankind, it is indeed very rare for a meteorite or an asteroid to reach the earth. Although no documented tsunami has ever been generated by an asteroid impact, the effects of such an event would be disastrous.
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| Where and How Frequently are Tsunamis Generated? |
Tsunamis are disasters that can be generated in all of the world's oceans, inland seas, and in any large body of water. Each region of the world appears to have its own cycle of frequency and pattern in generating tsunamis that range in size from small to the large and highly destructive events. Most tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean and its marginal seas.
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| Why Aren't Tsunamis Seen at Sea or From the Air? |
In the deep ocean, tsunami wave amplitude is usually less than 1 m (3.3 feet). The crests of tsunami waves may be more than a hundred kilometers or more away from each other. Therefore, passengers on boats at sea, far away from shore where the water is deep, will not feel nor see the tsunami waves as they pass by underneath at high speeds.
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| What Are the Factors of Destruction From Tsunamis? |
There are three factors of destructions from tsunamis: inundation, wave impact on structures, and erosion.
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| How Does Tsunami Energy Travel Across the Ocean and How Far Can Tsunamis Waves Reach? |
Once a tsunami has been generated, its energy is distributed throughout the water column, regardless of the ocean's depth. A tsunami is made up of a series of very long waves. The waves will travel outward on the surface of the ocean in all directions away from the source area, much like the ripples caused by throwing a rock into a pond. The wavelength of the tsunami waves and their period will depend on the generating mechanism and the dimensions of the source event.
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| What Determines How Destructive a Tsunami Will Be Near the Origin and At a Distant Shore? |
Tsunamis arrive at a coastline as a series of successive crests (high water levels) and troughs (low water levels) - usually occurring 10 to 45 minutes apart. As they enter the shallow waters of coastlines, bays, or harbors, their speed decreases to about 50-60 km/h. For example, in 15 m of water the speed of a tsunami will be only 45 km/h.
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| Why Are Locally Generated Tsunamis So Dangerous? |
A locally generated tsunami may reach a nearby shore in less than ten minutes. There is not sufficient time for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center or for local authorities to issue a warning.
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| When and Where have Tsunamis Occurred? |
Go to http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/faq.php to find the
answer.
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| What are some of the worst tsunamis? |
Go to http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/faq.php to find the answer.
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| Tell Me About the Dec. 26, 2004 Sumatra Tsunami |
Go to http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/faq.php to find the answer.
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| What is a Mega-Tsunami and Can It Happen Today? |
The following is a position paper that was issued by the Tsunami Society concerning the occurrence of Mega-Tsunamis:
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| WC/ATWC FAQs |
Go to http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/faq/frequently.php for WC/ATWC FAQs.
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| How Can We Prepare for a Tsunami? |
Go to http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/faq.php to find the answer.
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