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 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.

Selected article

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...)

List of selected articles

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

Selected tsunami article

On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, was caused by a rupture along the fault between the Burma Plate and the Indian Plate, and reached a Mercalli intensity up to IX in some areas. (Full article...)

Selected tsunami articles

In the news

17 August 2024 –: A 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes off the eastern coast of Kamchatka Krai, Russia with a tsunami warning being issued. (Sky News)
8 August 2024 – 2024 Hyūga-nada earthquake: A 7.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Kyushu, Japan. A tsunami advisory is issued for parts of the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku. (The Japan Times)