There are many more with more information, so please use links or searches. Essays by Mumia Below is a cool photo my friend Moose sent me. This crazy person is surfing at Maverick's, a fairly new hot spot for hot shots. But if you have, you are my instant god. Rather, they rush onto land like a big wall of water.
Tsunamis get big.
50 feet tall usually, at least. In the Pacific Ocean they are generally caused by earthquakes originating from somewhere along the Ring of Fire. The earthquake triggers some sort of submarine avalanche or sudden drop of the sea floor. The sudden displacement of water required spawns the set of tsunamis. Okay, I promised to tell you how to get to my butterfly grove near Santa Barbara, California.