What causes a tsunami?
Oceanographers often refer to tsunamis as seismic sea waves as they are usually the result of a sudden rise or fall of a section of the earth ′s crust under or near the ocean. A seismic disturbance can displace the water column, creating a rise or fall in the level of the ocean above. This rise or fall in sea level is the initial formation of a tsunami wave. Tsunami waves can also be created by volcanic activity and landslides occurring above or below the sea surface. These types of activity produce tsunamis with much less energy than those produced by submarine faulting. The size and energy of these tsunamis dissipates rapidly with increasing distance from the source, thus resulting in more local devastation.
