The word "tsunami" is from the Japanese words tsu (harbor) and nami (waves). A tsunami is a wave or series of waves in the ocean that can be hundreds of miles long and have been known to reach heights of up to 34 ft (10.5 m). These "walls of water" travel as fast or faster than a commercial jet. The massive December 26, 2004 tsunami traveled 375 miles (600 km) in 75 minutes. That's 300 mph (480 kph). These walls of water are capable of inflicting massive damage along coastal lands.
- Waves are made up of crests and troughs.
- Crest
- The highest point of the wave
- Trough
- The lowest point of the wave
- Waves are measued in two ways.
- :Wave Height: the distance between the crest and the trough
- :Wave Lenght: the horizontal distance between the consecutive wave crests
- Wave Period
- The frequency of a wave that is measured by the time it takes for two comsecutive waves to cross the same point
Typical Tusnami Wave
- wave speed- 500-600mph(800-1000kph)
- wave period-10min-2hr apart
- wave lenght-60-300mi apart(100-500km apart)
Normal Waves
- wave speed- 5-60mph
- wave period- 5-20sec
- wave lenght- 300-600ft apart (100-200 meters apart)
The most common differences between Tusnamis and regular waves are size, speed, and source.
Regular waves are caused by gravitational pull, underwater activity, and atmospheric pressure, but the most common source of a wave is the wind. When the wind blows across a smooth water surface, the air molecules grab water molecules as they are carried across the water by the wind. The friction between the air and water stretches the water's surface, creating ripples in the water known as capillary waves. The capillary waves move in circles. This circular motion of water continues vertically underwater, though the power of this motion decreases in deeper water. As the wave travels, more and more water molecules are collected, increasing the size and momentum of the wave. The most important thing to know about waves is that they do not represent the movement of water, but instead show the movement of energy through water.
In normal waves, the wind is the source of that energy. The size and speed of wind waves is dependant on the strength of the wind.
