Science Information courtesy of OnlineFuture.co.uk


Tsunami Defined


Tsunami is a Japanese term that describes a large seismically generated sea wave which is capable of considerable destruction in certain coastal areas, especially where underwater earthquakes occur.

In Japanese, "Tsunami" means "Harbor Wave" or "Wave In The Harbor" It is now internationally accepted as the term that defines a "Seismic Seawave."

In South America, the term "Maremoto" is frequently used to describe a Tsunami.

Tsunami is pronounced: (sue-NAM-ee)

Tsunami's have been incorrectly referred to as "tidal waves." A tidal wave is a non-technical term for a shallow water wave caused by the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth (high water is the crest of a tidal wave and low water is the trough).

Tsunami's are formed by a displacement of water. This can come from the slippage of the boundaries between two tectonic plates, volcanic eruption, under-water earthquake, or even landslides.

Out in the open ocean, Tsunami's might only be 1 meter in height, but as it reaches the shore in shallow water, it can rise to heights of 15-30 meters or more. Think about how a normal wave comes into a shore: the water moves away from the shore and then comes crashing back. This movement "heightens" the destruction power of a Tsunami.

Tsunami's can also reach speeds ranging from 400 to 500+ miles per hour? about the same speed as a jet airliner.

The enormous energy that a Tsunami can possess allows it to travel across entire oceans. They often proceed as an ordinary gravity wave? having a 15 to 60 minute intervals.

From a destruction perspective, Tsunami's have cost not hundreds of thousands, but millions of human lives over the recorded history of Earth.

Sources: U.S. Geological Survey & Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Resource Box:

Joe Upsurge is a freelance writer and author with a personal interest in Tsunamis and other seismic wave research.


MORE RESOURCES:

Calgary Herald

National Briefing | Science Nasa Delays Mars Mission
New York Times, United States - 4 hours ago
The Mars Science Laboratory, an SUV-size rover that is to explore the Martian surface for two years, is now scheduled for launching in 2011. ...
Mars Science Lab launch delayed two years CNN International
NASA delays Mars Science Laboratory launch to 2011 Christian Science Monitor
NASA delays Mars rover launch to 2011 Los Angeles Times
Bloomberg - USA Today
all 442 news articles


BBC News

Minister checks on science exams
BBC News, UK - 11 hours ago
By Gary Eason A government minister has said he is calling in copies of GCSE and A-level science exam papers to satisfy himself they are not being "dumbed ...
£250m funding for science centres The Press Association
Uni gets £12m for applicance of science Bath Chronicle
Investment in science vital for the future, says Brown Independent
Bloomberg - Times Online
all 127 news articles


National Briefing | Science California: Fire Damages Landmark ...
New York Times, United States - 4 hours ago
By REBECCA CATHCART A fire that started in the attic of the Body Shop, a single-story strip club in West Hollywood that has drawn crowds for half a century, ...


'The Ultimate Keys to Success in Business & Science': A ...
MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
"This book is loaded with ideas and insights into business and science that will change you and your thinking forever." -- Mitchell R. LaBar, Senior Vice ...


Science Journalism Implosion, CNN and Beyond
New York Times, United States - 18 hours ago
By Andrew C. Revkin CNN is eliminating its seven-person unit covering science, the environment, and technology, saying its “Planet in Peril” programs do the ...


Where Science Rules, but Soccer Thrives
New York Times, United States - 9 hours ago
That long-term dedication to science has enabled O’Donohue to recruit nationally, as well as close to home. Johnson, a 6-foot-1 junior striker, ...


Hollywood and science fiction, back to the future
Los Angeles Times, CA - 10 hours ago
7) the Los Angeles Times Calendar section features a special package of science fiction stories that include a piece on Keanu Reeves and his alienated role ...


Abortion Myth About Depression Falls Before Science
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 16 hours ago
By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog. First, there was the widely discredited claim that abortion raised breast cancer rates. ...


The Importance of Science and Technology at the White House
MarketWatch - 15 hours ago
Science, technology and innovation are key elements in addressing the economy, health care, energy and a host of other challenges our nation will face in ...


Space Com

CNN downsizes science team
Science News - 17 hours ago
By Janet Raloff Okay, we’d like to think that you find Science News riveting, comprehensive, one-stop shopping for all of your science-reporting needs. ...
CNN drops science-tech unit and veteran reporter Atlanta Journal Constitution
CNN - CNN DISTANCES ITSELF FROM MILES Contactmusic.com
CNN Shafts Its Science and Technology Department Jossip
NewsBusters - Wired News
all 129 news articles

Science - Google News

home | site map
© 2007