A tsunami is a series of large waves created when either near-shore or undersea earthquakes occur causing sudden movement of the sea floor. As the sea floor moves, impulsive disturbances are created and causing the water column to vertically displace. The result is a large train of waves. As the wave approaches lower water depths, it slows down, but the energy of the wave remains constant. This action causes the wave to increase in height, as high as 30 meters, in some instances.
Tsunamis can cause great devastation and loss of life.
They can wipe out coastal towns, take thousands of lives, and inflict billions of dollars in damages. They are extremely dangerous and should be taken seriously. The inundation maps show which areas are prone to the effects of the waves and also to flooding. The warning systems receive shore-based seismic data and information from coastal sea level stations. Then the warning system alerts vulnerable coastal regions that a potentially tsunamigenic earthquake has occurred, along with the predicted arrival times.