Tsunami Data and Information

A tsunami is a series of waves generated by an impulsive disturbance in the ocean or in a small, connected body of water. These waves sometimes inflict severe damage to property and pose a threat to life in coastal communities. In the open ocean a tsunami is less than a few centimeters high, traveling at ~800 km / hour (the speed of a commercial jet airplane) with wave energy extending from the surface to the ocean floor. As the tsunami approaches the coastline, the wave energy is compressed into a much shorter distance, creating potentially large destructive waves posing a threat to life in coastal communities.