A tsunami is a long-wavelength, gravity-driven water wave phenomenon typically generated by large, sudden displacements of the seafloor due to subduction-zone earthquakes, but also by submarine landslides, volcanic eruptions, or impact events. In deep ocean, tsunamis travel at jetliner speeds with low amplitudes and very long periods (minutes to an hour), behaving as shallow-water waves whose phase speed depends on water depth. As they shoal on continental shelves, energy conservation forces rapid increases in wave amplitude and reductions in wavelength and speed, producing highly nonlinear run-up, strong nearshore currents, and complex inundation patterns that are central to hazard assessment and numerical modeling.
One of the ten largest earthquakes ever recorded just struck Kamchatka, the sparsely populated Russian peninsula facing the Pacific. The magnitude 8.8 quake had its epicenter in the sea just off the Kamchatka coast.
Environment
Jul 30, 2025
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Tsunami alerts were issued across much of the Pacific on Wednesday after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far east.
Environment
Jul 30, 2025
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One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, causing tsunami waves to wash ashore in Japan and Alaska and calls for people around the Pacific to be on alert or move to higher ground.
Environment
Jul 30, 2025
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One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Japan and Hawaii and across the Pacific. No substantial damage has been reported so far, but authorities ...
Environment
Jul 30, 2025
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Megathrust earthquakes are large earthquakes that occur on faults found along the boundaries between tectonic plates. The Nankai Trough is a megathrust earthquake zone lying off the southwestern coast of Japan, and experts ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 23, 2025
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Tsunami earthquakes are characterized by the generation of disproportionately large tsunamis relative to the observed ground shaking, complicating timely evacuation efforts. Understanding their generation mechanisms and associated ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 3, 2025
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A new tool that assesses the level of danger posed by tsunamis in real-time has been made operational on a global scale.
Earth Sciences
Jun 18, 2025
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The head of Japan's meteorological agency on Friday dismissed widespread rumors of a major earthquake in Japan this summer as unscientific and a "hoax," urging people not to worry because even the most advanced science still ...
Environment
Jun 13, 2025
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History has a way of repeating itself. But unlike science, built on general principles and testable theories about the natural world, history examines past events and human actions using evidence and interpretation. This ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 9, 2025
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Tsunamis pose a risk to the entire California coast. But should a major one strike, how bad could it be?
Earth Sciences
Jun 9, 2025
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