6 Tsunami Facts: Trigger, Damage, Speed, and More

The earth has witnessed numerous geohazards, such as the tsunami (the seismic sea wave). In a deep ocean, these waves look like short tidal waves. However, they may turn into killer waves when they hit the land. This is only one fact about tsunamis. Below are other 6 tsunami facts you must know

Tsunamis can be dangerous for people living on the seashores. This phenomenon commonly occurs within the Ring of Fire, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. What triggered this natural disaster? How fast and big is this seismic sea wave?

6 Tsunami Facts: Understanding How Damaging It is

Tsunamis can be exceptionally destructive. Some tsunamis are extremely tall and fast. They can sweep coastal towns within seconds. Therefore, it is vital for people living in those areas and government agencies to have a better understanding of this geohazard. 

As a result, they can minimize the number of victims and the impact. Below are the 6 interesting facts about tsunamis.

1. The Causes

The common cause of tsunamis is undersea earthquakes. However, not all these earthquakes can trigger killer waves. 

They must have a magnitude of 7.5 or more and a depth of less than 100 km below the earth’s surface. In addition, the earthquakes should cause the ocean floor to move vertically or rise and fall. 

Earthquakes are not the only cause of tsunamis. In rare cases, undersea volcanic eruptions and landslides can trigger killer waves. 

2. Size

A tsunami generated by an earthquake has a wavelength ranging from 20 to 300 km. A killer wave with a longer wavelength causes larger inundation. This wave differs from an ordinary sea wave because it does not break.

Moreover, the wave is only about one meter high in the open ocean. The first wave’s trough will suck up the seawater near the beachfront. Therefore, people on the shore will see the water ebb suddenly and fish flopping on the ocean floor. 

After that, bigger and taller waves will strike the shore. The height of the waves ranges from 30 cm to 35 m. However, it is rare for tsunamis to reach 35 m. The waves can only attain that height if the trigger is a mega earthquake or an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 9.

3. Speed

One of the 6 tsunami facts you must know is its speed. The killer wave can travel as fast as a jet airliner or 970 km/h. With this speed, a series of tsunami waves can cause fatal damage to a large area.

In addition, this speed allows the waves to reach the nearest island in only a matter of minutes. However, not all tsunamis can travel at this speed. An underwater earthquake with a low magnitude will trigger a smaller and slower tsunami.

4. Inundation 

How far can a tsunami travel on land? The killer wave can cause an inundation area of several hundred meters to several kilometers inland. A tsunami in 2004 inundated an area of 5 km inland in Aceh.

Meanwhile, a tsunami in 2011 flooded an area of 10 km inland in Sendai, Japan. The size of the flooded area depends on various factors, such as the elevation of the land, the wave height, and the topography of the land.

5. Effects of Tsunami

You can find several facts about tsunami damage when reading tsunami news. Below are some of them.

• Tsunami can hit numerous coastlines in different countries.

• This killer wave can destroy all buildings on the coastline and only leave palm trees.

• A tsunami can cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose their lives.

• The seawater from the tsunami that floods the island can cause the land to be infertile and kill freshwater fish.

  6. Tsunami Prediction

The last point in the list of 6 facts about tsunami is tsunami prediction. No one can predict the occurrence of tsunamis in particular areas. 

However, they have invented a tsunami early warning system. This system has sensors for detecting seismic activities. Moreover, it comes with a modeling technology to determine the tsunami’s height and speed and locate the affected area. 

After gaining the data, the system will alert people in the affected areas using sirens, SMS cell broadcasts, TV channels, etc. The alerts will give them several minutes to get out of the shoreline.

From the 6 tsunami facts above, it can be concluded that this geohazard is highly hazardous. Therefore, government agencies and authorities must have a proper early warning system and emergency communication system to minimize the impact of the killer wave.