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Examine how earthquake shock waves can generate a tsunami like the one that crashed down on Hilo in 1946

Examine how earthquake shock waves can generate a tsunami like the one that crashed down on Hilo in 1946

Vintage newsreels show the terrible destruction that a tsunami brought to Hilo, Hawaii, in 1946.
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Transcript

[Music in]

NARRATOR: Earthquake shock waves may generate a special type of wave called a tsunami. A tsunami may travel thousands of kilometers at several hundred kilometers an hour before losing its energy. And what happens to islands and shorelines in its path?

The Hilo tsunami of 1946 devastated parts of Hawaii, ruining property, claiming many lives, and leaving survivors homeless. This old newsreel film shows the aftermath of Hilo's destruction and the awesome power of the sea.

[Music out]
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