December 24, 2011
One of the top news stories of 2011 was the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. Many areaders expressed their sympathy toward the people of Sendai, and wondered how exactly such a huge, deadly wave forms.
The terrible earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011 was a magnitude 8.9. That’s one of the biggest ever recorded. The devastation caused was bad enough, but the resulting tsunami was even worse.
A tsunami used to be called a tidal wave, but that’s not a correct term. Tsunamis have nothing to do with tides - those are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon (and the sun to a lesser degree). The violent shaking of the earth underneath the ocean causes tsunamis. Tsunamis can also travel across long distances on the ocean. At sea, a tsunami wave is scarcely noticeable, but when the wave comes close to shore, it builds up and up and can by many feet high.
For readers who want to read more about earthquakes and why we seem to have had so many big ones this year, you can read my earlier blog post:
EARTHQUAKES: WHAT IS GOING ON?Photograph: The tsunami crashing into homes in Natori, Japan. Courtesy Kyodo News, via Associated Press.
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Posted by: Seymour Simon
