![]() This site of contact may be apparent on the earth’s crust as a fault line, like the San Andreas Fault that runs along the length of California. When two plates come in contact with each other, they may rub against each other laterally or side by side. This is the idea behind the theory of plate tectonics. The hard rock surface of the earth, or the crust, is made up of plates that move on top of a liquid rock layer underneath, or the mantle. Tsunamis are commonly caused by earthquakes. When tidal surges break on shore or over land they can cause significant damage to property and endanger coastlines. Tidal surges are particularly destructive waves caused by strong winds that are generated by typhoons and hurricanes. Surface tides range from small ripples, to large swells. Surface tides are caused by wind blowing across the surface of a large open body of water, such as an ocean, lake or river. The term tidal wave is used in reference to ocean waves caused by the gravitational pull between the moon and the earth. Tsunamis are also different from surface tides and tidal surges, although these waves may have similarly destructive effects on coastlines. As evident in the recent Japan earthquake in 2011, the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the 2009 earthquake in American Samoa, tsunamis can be extremely destructive in coastal regions.Īlthough sometimes used interchangeably, tsunamis should not be confused with tidal waves. The word tsunami originates from Japan, where it means, “harbor wave.” Japan is a country made up of many islands and the coastline is dotted by numerous harbors that, historically, are particularly vulnerable to earthquake-generated tsunamis. Tsunamis may also be caused by volcanic eruptions, or by large chunks of ice breaking away from a glacier, or by other phenomena that cause large displacements of ocean water. In simplest terms, a tsunami is a large, extensive, open ocean wave or series of waves caused by an earthquake or an underwater landslide. ![]() ![]() Guam is no stranger to the effects of some of nature’s most destructive forces, including earthquakes and typhoons, but tsunamis hit only rarely. Since the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan’s coastline in March 2011 and sent thousands of Guam residents looking for higher ground, questions about the vulnerability of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to an equally dangerous tsunami have been raised. ![]()
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