A tsunami is often thought to be one large and very destructive wave that crashes into a coastal region, but it is really more like a series of waves. Whereas most waves are caused by the wind, tsunamis are usually formed by geological phenomenon such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption. They can also be caused by landslides or even meteor impacts. A tsunami is formed by such events whenever a column of water is pushed up and down; in the case of an earthquake it is caused by the sea floor being uplifted by tectonic plate activity. The incredibly potential energy of the water column is transferred into kinetic energy, which creates the series of waves known as a tsunami.