tsunami

People run from an approaching tsunami in Hilo, Hawai'i, on 1 April 1946; note the wave just left of the man's head in right center of image. Credit: The Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Hawai'i

A Japanese word meaning "harbor wave." A tsunami is a wave or series of waves that are generated in a body of water by a sudden disturbance that displaces water. Tsunami are typically caused by earthquakes and landslides in coastal regions. Volcanic eruptions, nuclear explosions, and even impact of meteorites, asteroids, and comets from outer space can generate a tsunami.

Related categories

• GEOLOGY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE
• MEGACATASTROPHES

Source: U.S. Geological Survey

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Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History

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