Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ''huge wave'' that refers to a series of large ocean waves. It is caused basically due to underwater earthquake, Richter magnitude exceeding 7.5 to produce a destructive tsunami.
Concept can be summarized as follow:
The earth is constantly moving on large tectonic plates. When these tectonic plates moves past each other, collide and/or slide under one another an earthquake results. This is what happened with the recent tsunami that devastated Southern Asia. A massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean measuring 10.0 on the Richter scale jolted the seabed causing the sudden displacement of a very large volumeof water. The earthquake temporarily produces a fluctuation in the mean sea level of a specified area. Waves quickly form as the displaced water tries to recapture equilibrium by filling the vacuum that was created. Tsunamis are a series of extremely long waves that are created after a large volumeof wateris displaced. The amount displaced must be significant enough to create waves underwater in the vast ocean. Waves are formed as the displaced water mass moves under the influence of gravity to regain its equilibrium. The larger the displacement, the larger the wave generated.
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Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning ''huge wave'' that refers to a series of large ocean waves. It is caused basically due to underwater earthquake, Richter magnitude exceeding 7.5 to produce a destructive tsunami.
Concept can be summarized as follow:
The earth is constantly moving on large tectonic plates. When these tectonic plates moves past each other, collide and/or slide under one another an earthquake results. This is what happened with the recent tsunami that devastated Southern Asia. A massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean measuring 10.0 on the Richter scale jolted the seabed causing the sudden displacement of a very large volume of water. The earthquake temporarily produces a fluctuation in the mean sea level of a specified area. Waves quickly form as the displaced water tries to recapture equilibrium by filling the vacuum that was created. Tsunamis are a series of extremely long waves that are created after a large volume of water is displaced. The amount displaced must be significant enough to create waves underwater in the vast ocean. Waves are formed as the displaced water mass moves under the influence of gravity to regain its equilibrium. The larger the displacement, the larger the wave generated.