Portal:Tsunamis

The Tsunami portal

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand

A tsunami (/(t)suːˈnɑːmi, (t)sʊˈ-/ (t)soo-NAH-mee, (t)suu-; from Japanese: 津波, lit. 'harbour wave', pronounced [tsɯnami]) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances) above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal ocean waves, which are generated by wind, or tides, which are in turn generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun, a tsunami is generated by the displacement of water from a large event.

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The tsunami bomb was an attempt during World War II to develop a tectonic weapon that could create destructive tsunamis. The project commenced after US Navy officer E.A. Gibson noticed small waves generated by explosions used to clear coral reefs. The idea was developed by the United States and New Zealand military in a program code named Project Seal. The weapons concept was deemed feasible, but the weapons themselves were never fully developed or used. A related concept, the bouncing bomb was developed and used in World War II, to be dropped into water as a means to destroy German dams and cause loss of industrial capacity and widespread flooding. (Full article...)

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Events that can cause a tsunami

A mass of ice calves from the Perito Moreno glacier in Lago Argentino

Ice calving, also known as glacier calving or iceberg calving, is the breaking of ice chunks from the edge of a glacier. It is a form of ice ablation or ice disruption. It is the sudden release and breaking away of a mass of ice from a glacier, iceberg, ice front, ice shelf, or crevasse. The ice that breaks away can be classified as an iceberg, but may also be a growler, bergy bit, or a crevasse wall breakaway. (Full article...)

List of events articles
Earthquake Submarine earthquake Tsunami earthquake Submarine eruption Landslide Meteorite impact

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General images

The following are images from various tsunami-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Tsunami warning system in East Timor (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 2The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest. (from Tsunami)
Image 3Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia, December 2004 (from Tsunami)
Image 4Lisbon earthquake and tsunami in November 1755 (from Tsunami)
Image 5Over-riding plate bulges under strain, causing tectonic uplift. (from Tsunami)
Image 6Evacuation route sign in a low-lying coastal area on the West Coast of the United States (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 7Plate slips, causing subsidence and releasing energy into water. (from Tsunami)
Image 8Tsunami Early Warning Tower board in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 9Diagram showing several measures to describe a tsunami size, including height, inundation and run-up (from Tsunami)
Image 10The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand (from Tsunami)
Image 11The energy released produces tsunami waves. (from Tsunami)
Image 12Calculated travel time map for the 1964 Alaska tsunami (in hours) (from Tsunami)
Image 13Mast with warning system, and sign detailing escape routes, on the coast of Okumatsushima, Miyagi prefecture, Japan (this coast was severely hit by the 2011 tsunami) (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 14One of the deep water buoys used in the DART tsunami warning system (from Tsunami)
Image 15Satellite image of Lake Kivu (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 16Evacuation route sign on the pavement in Kamakura, Japan (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 17When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases. (from Tsunami)
Image 18An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave. (from Tsunami)
Image 19A seawall at Tsu, Mie Prefecture in Japan
Image 20Japanese Tsunami warning sign (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 21Drawing of tectonic plate boundary before earthquake (from Tsunami)
Image 22Figure 1: Diagram showing how earthquakes can generate a tsunami. (from Tsunamis in lakes)

Selected tsunami article

The 1771 Great Yaeyama Tsunami (also called 明和の大津波, the Great Tsunami of Meiwa) was caused by the Yaeyama Great Earthquake at about 8 A.M. on April 24, 1771, south-southeast of Ishigaki Island, part of the former Ryūkyū Kingdom and now part of present-day Okinawa, Japan. According to records, 8,439 people were killed on Ishigaki Island and 2,548 on Miyako Island. (Full article...)

Selected tsunami articles

In the news

3 April 2024 – 2024 Hualien earthquake: A magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes off the coast of Taiwan, prompting tsunami warnings for Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. A large section of the uninhabited Guishan Island collapses into the ocean. Nine people are killed in Taiwan, including four by rockfalls, with more than 930 others injured. (AP) (Al Jazeera)