Tsunamis
Tsunamis are powerful waves formed by earthquakes in the ocean. Tsunamis(harbor waves in Japanese) cause great damage to sea-side towns. Many people are killed or lost by the massive waves. Since 1946, however, geophysicists have used warning systems to alert the public to the approach of giant waves. Some tsunamis are formed from under-water earthquakes and others are formed from volcanic eruptions and landslides. How undersea eruptions produce tsunamis is still debated. Scientists rejected the notion that tsunamis were produced by a sudden drop of the seafloor, triggered when the roof of a subterranean magma chamber collapsed as magma erupted. They rejected this because they considered the movement of the waves. In southeastern Texas, mud-stone lay on the floor of a shallow sea millions of years ago. This was interrupted by an asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. This phenomenon produced huge, massive tsunamis. Tsunamis can be deceptive in many ways. Their path, for instance, is altered by the relief of undersea landscape. Another way would be the highs and lows of the seafloor. Determining the path of a tsunami is difficult but predicting the size is nearly impossible. Tsunamis consist of multiple waves. Tsunamis can happen anytime. Luckily, scientists have found ways to measure and find out when they strike. WATCH OUT!
Dvorak, John. "Swept Away." Earth Magazine. July 1993. pgs. 53- 59.
Edward 12/20/00