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Wikipedia portal for content related to Tsunamis
The
2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at
Ao Nang ,
Krabi Province ,
Thailand
A
tsunami (
(t)soo-NAH -mee, (t)suu- ; from
Japanese : 津波 ,
lit. 'harbour wave', pronounced
[tsɯnami] ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a
large lake .
Earthquakes ,
volcanic eruptions and other
underwater explosions (including detonations,
landslides ,
glacier calvings ,
meteorite impacts and other disturbances) above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal
ocean waves, which are generated by wind , or
tides , which are in turn generated by the
gravitational pull of the
Moon and the
Sun , a tsunami is generated by the displacement of water from a large event.
Events that can cause a tsunami
Scheme of a submarine eruption. 1 Water vapor cloud 2 Water 3 Stratum 4 Lava flow 5 Magma conduit 6 Magma chamber 7 Dike 8 Pillow lava
Submarine eruptions are
volcano eruptions which take place beneath the surface of water. These occur at constructive margins,
subduction zones and within
tectonic plates due to
hotspots . This eruption style is far more prevalent than subaerial activity. For example, it is believed that 70 to 80% of the Earth's magma output takes place at mid-ocean ridges. (
Full article... )
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The following are images from various tsunami-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 1 The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest. (from
Tsunami )
Image 2 Calculated travel time map for the 1964 Alaska tsunami (in hours) (from
Tsunami )
Image 3 One of the deep water
buoys used in the
DART tsunami warning system (from
Tsunami )
Image 4 Tsunami aftermath in
Aceh ,
Indonesia , December 2004 (from
Tsunami )
Image 5 An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave. (from
Tsunami )
Image 6 The energy released produces tsunami waves. (from
Tsunami )
Image 7 Over-riding plate bulges under strain, causing
tectonic uplift . (from
Tsunami )
Image 8 Figure 1: Diagram showing how earthquakes can generate a tsunami. (from
Tsunamis in lakes )
Image 10 Evacuation route sign in a low-lying coastal area on the West Coast of the United States (from
Tsunami warning system )
Image 11 Satellite image of
Lake Kivu (from
Tsunamis in lakes )
Image 13 Plate slips, causing
subsidence and releasing energy into water. (from
Tsunami )
Image 14 A
seawall at
Tsu ,
Mie Prefecture in Japan
Image 15 Evacuation route sign on the pavement in
Kamakura , Japan (from
Tsunami warning system )
Image 17 When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases. (from
Tsunami )
Image 18 Tsunami warning system in
East Timor (from
Tsunami warning system )
Image 19 Mast with warning system, and sign detailing escape routes, on the coast of
Okumatsushima ,
Miyagi prefecture ,
Japan (this coast was severely hit by the
2011 tsunami ) (from
Tsunami warning system )
Image 20 Diagram showing several measures to describe a tsunami size, including height, inundation and run-up (from
Tsunami )
Image 21 Japanese Tsunami warning sign (from
Tsunami warning system )
Image 22 Tsunami Early Warning Tower board in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka (from
Tsunami warning system )
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