By: Yazan HAJJAR

What is a Tsunami? A Tsunami is a set of huge waves of water that are usually caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. This happens when an underwater earthquake pushes the water upwards and creates a series of long waves that travel at approximately eight hundred kilometers per hour towards the seashore. The Tsunami waves get higher as they reach the shallow water. At that point, the water on the shore might retreated into the ocean and the big Tsunami waves will then strike the coast and damage everything in front of them up to one kilometer inland.

What is a Tsunami (continued)? A Tsunami is not only a series of huge waves crushing everything that is in front of them, but they even make really dangerous floods, and in the end of the Tsunami coastal flood, all the water is retreated back into the ocean. These huge waves are one of the most deadly natural disasters by the way that they smash or kill every single thing standing in their way. Tsunamis can also be formed by volcano eruptions, land slides and earthquakes.

Where do Tsunamis occur most? Most Tsunamis occur in the pacific and Indian oceans. Tsunamis mostly occur near countries like Japan, India and Indonesia. Regions in Tsunami danger zones often have warning systems in place to give as much time as possible to run away. Japan has the most probability than any other place in the world for a Tsunami to happen. In fact Japan has had most Tsunamis than any other place in history.

The 2004 Indonesian Tsunami - disaster. In December 2004, a powerful earthquake moved the seabed off Indonesia in Southeast Asia. Strong waves spread out like ripples. The waves travelled 3,100 miles to wreck towns on the shores of India and even Africa. The damage caused by the Tsunami was worst on the coast of Indonesia. Whole towns were completely flattened by waves. Boats were swept onto the shore and carried far inland. This Tsunami was given four names: “2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami”, “South Asian Tsunami”, “Indonesian Tsunami” or “Boxing Day Tsunami.”

How does global warming link to Tsunamis? Scientists say that as the atmosphere heats up and geology is altered, global warming may trigger even more Tsunamis or other natural disasters. Disappearing Greenland and Antarctic Ice sheets threaten to let loose underwater landslides, triggering Tsunamis that could reach the coast of Britain. It seems that changes in the earths crust may cause more Tsunamis, but Tsunamis have no direct link with global warming.

Tsunami Videos New dramatic video: Tsunami wave spills over seawall, smashes boats, cars How Tsunami’s work