Tsunami, features and articles | Educational Science

Nov 6, 2013

Tsunami Debris 'Island' Headed for US? NOAA Sets Record Straight

Debris from the deadly tsunami that struck Japan in 2011 is drifting across the Pacific Ocean toward North America, and will likely continue to wash onto North American shores over the next few years, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). A significant amount of debris has...

Nov 11, 2013

How Typhoon Haiyan Compares to the 2004 Tsunami

Super Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the central Philippines on Friday (Nov. 8), affecting millions and displacing hundreds of thousands. The tropical cyclone (the blanket term for hurricanes and typhoons) packed sustained winds of up 190 mph (305 km/h) in the hours before it made landfall, according to some accounts. It will...

Dec 19, 2013

Massive Tsunami Could Wipe Out Hawaii's Waikiki Beach

SAN FRANCISCO — Huge tsunamis with waves as high as a four-story building could inundate the island of Oahu, washing out Waikiki Beach and flooding the island's main power plant, a new study finds. Any of us who watched the Tohoku tsunami footage on television had to have been affected...

Feb 24, 2014

Path of Japan Tsunami Debris Predicted by Computers

Computer simulations have been accurate in predicting where debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan would wash ashore, scientists say. On March 11, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan and triggered a devastating tsunami, killing more than 18,000 people. Half a year later, a Russian ship, the STS Pallada, spotted...

Apr 2, 2014

Chile Earthquake Unleashes Tsunami ... and Sensors Track It

A powerful 8.2-magnitude earthquake that rocked Chile Tuesday night (April 1) originated in a seismic hotspot that has produced some of the world's strongest tremors in history. Given the size and strength of the jolt, the current death toll of six seems rather modest. The tsunami it generated was relatively...

Apr 18, 2014

Tsunami Facts You Need to Know

Everyone knows just how destructive the ocean can be, but that amazing power is never more on display than when there is a tsunami. These awe-inspiring displays of Mother Nature's fury can reshape coastlines while leaving a wide trail of destruction and death. Although they are not very common, tsunamis...

Apr 25, 2014

Tsunami Survival Guide: What You Need to Know

Tsunamis are not only some of the most powerful natural disasters in the world; they are also some of the most unpredictable. Because of that unpredictable nature, knowing what to do before, during and after a tsunami can be the key to your survival chances. With that in mind, here...

May 7, 2014

Mind the Gap: New Evidence for Alaskan Tsunamis Found

This century's deadly tsunamis kicked off an intense search for buried clues to prehistoric killer waves along Alaska's southern shores. The coastal geology there has unleashed some of the biggest tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, but the historical record of past earthquakes and waves is sparse. Now, new evidence uncovered...

May 20, 2014

Could Gentle Caribbean Unleash a Devastating Tsunami?

The Caribbean usually conjures images of white sandy beaches and sparkling turquoise water, but beneath the sea's tranquil surface, powerful forces are at work. A massive earthquake in the Caribbean could trigger a deadly tsunami that would hit coastlines from Puerto Rico to New York, some say, though others say...

May 23, 2014

No Evidence of Megatsunamis Slamming California Coast

Several deadly tsunamis hit California in the past four centuries, but there's no evidence of a devastating megatsunami, according to a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Geologists from the USGS, the California Geological Survey and Humboldt State University searched for evidence of ancient tsunamis at more than...

Jun 30, 2014

How Extinct Undersea Volcanoes Trigger Rare 'Tsunami Earthquakes'

How unusual slow earthquakes can spawn powerful tsunamis is a long-standing mystery that researchers may have finally solved. Called tsunami earthquakes, these slow quakes are capable of creating huge waves that can cause serious damage to coastal cities. Tsunami earthquakes are not like typical earthquakes. They happen slowly and don't...

Oct 21, 2014

500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii Tsunami Discovered

This story was updated Oct. 21 at 2:15 p.m. EDT. A powerful earthquake in Alaska sent towering waves up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall crashing down on Hawaii about 500 years ago, leaving behind fragments of coral, mollusk shells and coarse beach sand in a sinkhole located on the...

Nov 5, 2014

Small Islands Amplify Tsunami Flooding

Small offshore islands help protect beaches from storm waves, but they're no match for tsunamis. It turns out that small islands boost the power of big tsunami waves, rather than absorbing their impact, a new study shows. In a computer model, a small island amplified tsunami flooding directly behind it...

Dec 26, 2014

Tsunami Science: Advances Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tragedy

The Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in history. Enormous waves struck countries in South Asia and East Africa with little to no warning, killing 243,000 people. The destruction played out on television screens around the world, fed by shaky home videos. The outpouring of aid...

Dec 28, 2014

Ten Years After Indonesian Tsunami, Are Coasts Any Safer?

This article was originally published on The Conversation. The publication contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Ten years ago we witnessed one of the worst natural disasters in history, when a huge earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami which swept across...