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📘 How a tsunami crosses an ocean

Follow seafloor displacement, long-wave travel, shoaling, run-up, and warning systems.

lessons

~10 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Adults

level

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What you’ll learn

Trigger
Long wavelength
Speed
Propagation
Shoaling
First arrival
Run-up
Reflections
Detection
Safety

Questions this course answers

What most commonly generates a tsunami?

Large undersea earthquakes can abruptly move the seafloor and the water above it.

Why can a tsunami travel fast in the deep ocean?

For long waves, speed is approximately proportional to the square root of depth.

What is shoaling?

Shallowing compresses wavelength and concentrates energy, increasing height.

What does run-up measure?

Run-up is maximum water height above a reference level onshore.

Why can several dangerous waves arrive over hours?

Reflections and multiple long waves keep currents and water levels hazardous.

Grounded in trusted sources

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