A tsunami (Japanese: 津波 [tsɯnami], lit. ‘harbor wave’;[1] English pronunciation: /suːˈnɑːmi/ soo-NAH-mee) is a series of water waves (called a tsunami wave train[2]) caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, usually an ocean, but can occur in large lakes. Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded.[3] Owing to the immense volumes of water and the high energy involved, tsunamis can devastate coastal regions.
Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions (including detonations of underwater nuclear devices), landslides and other mass movements,meteorite ocean impacts or similar impact events, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami.
The Greek historian Thucydides was the first to relate tsunami to submarine earthquakes,[4][5] but understanding of tsunami’s nature remained slim until the 20th century and is the subject of ongoing research. Many early geological, geographical, and oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as “seismic sea waves.”
Some meteorological conditions, such as deep depressions that cause tropical cyclones, can generate a storm surge, called ameteotsunami, which can raise tides several metres above normal levels. The displacement comes from low atmospheric pressure within the centre of the depression. As these storm surges reach shore, they may resemble (though are not) tsunamis, inundating vast areas of land. Such a storm surge inundated Burma in May 2008.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsunami
Related:
A tsunami causes major damage in north-eastern Japan, after a massive 8.8-magnitude (updated by NHK) earthquake strikes off the coast today, March 11, 2011. I cant imagine how people on land are coping with this. Phone lines are down. What would you would do if you couldn’t make a CALL for help?! Fires are sparking everywhere as well.This is really sad. Neighboring countries to Japan also have Tsunami alerts as of 7:15PM– Philippines, Indonesia, Guam, and Hawaii are just four of the 20+ countries on Tsunami alert.
http://cybersmartguide.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/understanding-the-nature-of-a-tsunami/
Thanks for sharing about tsunami.