Portal:Tsunamis

The Tsunami portal

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand

A tsunami (/(t)suːˈnɑːmi, (t)sʊˈ-/ (t)soo-NAH-mee, (t)suu-; from Japanese: 津波, lit. 'harbour wave', pronounced [tsɯnami]) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, underwater explosions, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal ocean waves, which are generated by wind, or tides, which are in turn generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun, a tsunami is generated by the displacement of water from a large event.

Selected article

The World Cricket Tsunami Appeal was an effort by the International Cricket Council to raise funds to support the humanitarian relief efforts following the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004. It was scheduled to be held over two games but was reduced to one due to an over-crowded international playing schedule and concerns for players' health playing in the April heat in Kolkata. The match was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 10 January 2005. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Events that can cause a tsunami

An impact event is a collision between astronomical objects causing measurable effects. Impact events have been found to regularly occur in planetary systems, though the most frequent involve asteroids, comets or meteoroids and have minimal effect. When large objects impact terrestrial planets such as the Earth, there can be significant physical and biospheric consequences, as the impacting body is usually traveling at several kilometres per second (km/s). The minimum impact speed for bodies striking Earth is 11.2 km/s (25,054 mph; 40,320 km/h), the Escape velocity of the Earth. While planetary atmospheres can mitigate some of these impacts through the effects of atmospheric entry, many large bodies retain sufficient energy to reach the surface and cause substantial damage. This results in the formation of impact craters and structures, shaping the dominant landforms found across various types of solid objects found in the Solar System. Their prevalence and ubiquity present the strongest empirical evidence of the frequency and scale of these events. (Full article...)

List of events articles

Did you know...

... that the Yonezawa Shokai Building is the only building left in the former city center of Rikuzentakata after it was destroyed by a tsunami?
... that the Aitape Skull may be part of the remains of the oldest known tsunami victim?
... that the village office on the islet of Koja Doi was destroyed by a tsunami in 1992, after which it was rebuilt across a causeway on the larger Besar Island?
... that Souraja survived the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami unscathed?

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General images

The following are images from various tsunami-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Plate slips, causing subsidence and releasing energy into water. (from Tsunami)
Image 2Over-riding plate bulges under strain, causing tectonic uplift. (from Tsunami)
Image 3An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave. (from Tsunami)
Image 4The energy released produces tsunami waves. (from Tsunami)
Image 5Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia, December 2004 (from Tsunami)
Image 6Tsunami warning system in East Timor (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 7When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases. (from Tsunami)
Image 8Drawing of tectonic plate boundary before earthquake (from Tsunami)
Image 9Satellite image of Lake Kivu (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 10Calculated travel time map for the 1964 Alaska tsunami (in hours) (from Tsunami)
Image 11Diagram showing several measures to describe a tsunami size, including height, inundation and run-up (from Tsunami)
Image 12Diagram showing how earthquakes can generate a tsunami (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 13Evacuation route sign on the pavement in Kamakura, Japan (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 14The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest. (from Tsunami)
Image 15One of the deep water buoys used in the DART tsunami warning system (from Tsunami)
Image 16The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand (from Tsunami)
Image 17Japanese Tsunami warning sign (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 18Evacuation route sign in a low-lying coastal area on the West Coast of the United States (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 19Lisbon earthquake and tsunami in November 1755 (from Tsunami)
Image 20A seawall at Tsu, Mie Prefecture in Japan
Image 21Mast with warning system, and sign detailing escape routes, on the coast of Okumatsushima, Miyagi prefecture, Japan (this coast was severely hit by the 2011 tsunami) (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 22Tsunami Early Warning Tower board in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka (from Tsunami warning system)

Selected tsunami article

The 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami occurred on 12 December on the island of Flores in Indonesia. With a magnitude of 7.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), it was the largest and the deadliest earthquake in 1992 and in the Lesser Sunda Islands region, with at least 2,500 people killed. The earthquake generated an unusually large tsunami for its size; a submarine landslide may explain this phenomenon. Submarine rockfall was observed near the site of the earthquake. Observed runups (height above normal sea level) were mostly around 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft), with higher runups on Babi Island, Bou-Tanabeten, and Riangkroko village. (Full article...)

Selected tsunami articles

In the news

17 July 2026 – 2026 Chiapas earthquake: A strong M_w 7.3 earthquake strikes near the coast of Chiapas, Mexico. Tsunami warnings were issued and damage is unknown. (BBC News) (The Weather Network)
8 June 2026 – 2026 Mindanao earthquake: Tsunamis are recorded in Guam, Palau and parts of Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) cancels its tsunami advisory issued for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; while agencies in Australia, Malaysia, and New Zealand lift their respective warnings. The PTWC later confirms that the tsunami threat passes hours following its issuance of the warning for parts of the Pacific. (BBC News) (NHK) (The Straits Times) (RNZ) (tsunami.gov)
20 April 2026 – Earthquakes in 2026: An earthquake on a scale of 7.7 is measured off the coast of Sanriku, Japan. A subsequent 80-centimetre (2.6 ft) high tsunami is reported in Kuji, Iwate prefecture. (AP) (Kyodo News)