CAUSES
Tsunamis are caused by sudden movements of the earth that happens under the sea. Often the most destructive Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes but causes can also include volcanic eruptions, landslides or even a comet hitting the sea.
Landslides cause tsunamis when the debris falls into the water. This has the same effect of dropping a large stone into a pool - big ripples are created. But when this happens in the sea and it is thousands of tonnes of rock and earth falling into the sea a very large ripple, more like a tidal wave is created. This travels across the sea until it comes into contact with land and a tsunami is formed.
Volcanoes cause tsunamis when there is an eruption. The volcano can either be on land or under the sea, in which case it is known as a submarine volcano. If the volcanic eruption happens on land, the tsunami is caused by debris and lava from the volcano flowing into the sea, which once again causes a bug ripple.
If the eruption happens under water, the enormous power of the eruption sends shudders through the earth and disrupts the water. The water in the sea then breaks into waves which travel across the ocean until they come into contact with a coast. Here, a tsunami is formed.
EFFECTS
It causes damage to buildings and infrastructure, animals and plants due to the fast waves that destroys everything in its path. See related question for more details. Anything and everything a tsunami reaches can be swept into the ocean, causing pollution, such as chemicals (just think of all the gasoline and other chemicals in cars swept out to sea in Japan that are being released into the ocean from those cars at the bottom of the sea now). A tsunami can sweep bombs from a military base out to sea just as readily as a house or a car, and can also cause damage to a nuclear reactor leading to radiological environmental damage. It can also overwhelm garbage dumps and sewage treatment plants, sweeping their contents out to sea as well.Damage to natural coral reefs and rock formations, whether natural or man-made, can also increase the problem of erosion along the shoreline. Furthermore, the destruction of these formations, which provide valuable habitat for marine organisms, results in a reduction in the sea life that is able to be supported. This has knock-on socio-economic effects, as already hard hit human inhabitants may lose access to a valuable source of food and income.
Tsunamis are caused by sudden movements of the earth that happens under the sea. Often the most destructive Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes but causes can also include volcanic eruptions, landslides or even a comet hitting the sea.
Landslides cause tsunamis when the debris falls into the water. This has the same effect of dropping a large stone into a pool - big ripples are created. But when this happens in the sea and it is thousands of tonnes of rock and earth falling into the sea a very large ripple, more like a tidal wave is created. This travels across the sea until it comes into contact with land and a tsunami is formed.
Volcanoes cause tsunamis when there is an eruption. The volcano can either be on land or under the sea, in which case it is known as a submarine volcano. If the volcanic eruption happens on land, the tsunami is caused by debris and lava from the volcano flowing into the sea, which once again causes a bug ripple.
If the eruption happens under water, the enormous power of the eruption sends shudders through the earth and disrupts the water. The water in the sea then breaks into waves which travel across the ocean until they come into contact with a coast. Here, a tsunami is formed.
EFFECTS
It causes damage to buildings and infrastructure, animals and plants due to the fast waves that destroys everything in its path. See related question for more details. Anything and everything a tsunami reaches can be swept into the ocean, causing pollution, such as chemicals (just think of all the gasoline and other chemicals in cars swept out to sea in Japan that are being released into the ocean from those cars at the bottom of the sea now). A tsunami can sweep bombs from a military base out to sea just as readily as a house or a car, and can also cause damage to a nuclear reactor leading to radiological environmental damage. It can also overwhelm garbage dumps and sewage treatment plants, sweeping their contents out to sea as well.Damage to natural coral reefs and rock formations, whether natural or man-made, can also increase the problem of erosion along the shoreline. Furthermore, the destruction of these formations, which provide valuable habitat for marine organisms, results in a reduction in the sea life that is able to be supported. This has knock-on socio-economic effects, as already hard hit human inhabitants may lose access to a valuable source of food and income.
"Being here, it is just impossible to imagine what that was like, when the tsunami hit." - Connie Selleca