tsunami

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Aceh, Indonesia: tsunami aftermath

Diagram showing the stages of a tsunami, from its generation at the earthquake epicenter under the ocean, through wave propagation across open water, to cresting and inundation as the waves reach and flood coastal land.

The video thumbnail image shows a woman trying to break a bundle of pasta strands as part of a scientific demonstration.

How Tsunamis Form from Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides

Pixelated window with the text TSUNAMI OR WAVE? and a large cursor overlaying a background of a large wave hitting the coast.

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, before and after the 2004 tsunami

Map of the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico highlighting the location and circular outline of the Chicxulub crater, which is about 180 kilometers in diameter and partly extends into the Gulf of Mexico. The map also shows nearby cities such as Merida, Cancun, Campeche, and Playa del Carmen, as well as international borders with Belize and Guatemala. An inset globe marks the region's location in the Americas.

Map of the Pacific Ocean showing the spread of the tsunami generated by the 1960 Chile earthquake, with colored contour lines indicating the travel time in hours of the wave front from the earthquake's epicenter near Valdivia, Chile. The map highlights how the tsunami radiated outward, reaching locations such as Hawaii, Japan, and the U.S. West Coast, with time intervals labeled in increments of five hours.

Can We Predict Natural Disasters?

Constructing a European tsunami warning system

At a Glance

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tsunami summary

tsunami: Media

water wave

Videos

The video thumbnail image shows a woman trying to break a bundle of pasta strands as part of a scientific demonstration.

How earthquakes are measured: Demonstrating magnitude

We're picking up earthquake vibrations.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

How Tsunamis Form from Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides

How Tsunamis Form from Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides

John Rafferty, associate editor of Earth sciences at Encyclopædia Britannica, discusses...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Pixelated window with the text TSUNAMI OR WAVE? and a large cursor overlaying a background of a large wave hitting the coast.

How Is a Tsunami Different from a Regular Wave?

Scientists are the ones searching for tsunamis, not surfers.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Can We Predict Natural Disasters?

Can We Predict Natural Disasters?

Protecting against natural disasters requires a multipronged approach.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Constructing a European tsunami warning system

Constructing a European tsunami warning system

An overview of how researchers use historical data to predict future tsunamis.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Giorgio Morara/Dreamstime.com; NOAA/PMEL/Center for Tsunami Research

Images

Aceh, Indonesia: tsunami aftermath

Aceh, Indonesia: tsunami aftermath

Aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia.

Philip A. McDaniel/U.S. Navy

Diagram showing the stages of a tsunami, from its generation at the earthquake epicenter under the ocean, through wave propagation across open water, to cresting and inundation as the waves reach and flood coastal land.

tsunami

After being generated by an undersea earthquake or landslide, a tsunami may propagate...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, before and after the 2004 tsunami

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, before and after the 2004 tsunami

Photos taken before and after the arrival of a massive tsunami highlight the destruction...

NASA

Map of the northern Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico highlighting the location and circular outline of the Chicxulub crater, which is about 180 kilometers in diameter and partly extends into the Gulf of Mexico. The map also shows nearby cities such as Merida, Cancun, Campeche, and Playa del Carmen, as well as international borders with Belize and Guatemala. An inset globe marks the region's location in the Americas.

Map of Chicxulub crater on the Yucatán Peninsula

A detailed map highlighting the location and 180 km diameter of the Chicxulub impact...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the Pacific Ocean showing the spread of the tsunami generated by the 1960 Chile earthquake, with colored contour lines indicating the travel time in hours of the wave front from the earthquake's epicenter near Valdivia, Chile. The map highlights how the tsunami radiated outward, reaching locations such as Hawaii, Japan, and the U.S. West Coast, with time intervals labeled in increments of five hours.

Chile earthquake of 1960: tsunami

Map showing the extent of the tsunami generated by the Chile earthquake of 1960.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

tsunami wave height model

Map prepared by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration depicting...

NOAA Center for Tsunami Research

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