Tsunamis
The biggest, most powerful waves on our planet are called tsunamis. either winds nor waves create tsunamis, Tsunamis form when an underwater volcano erupts or an earthquake occurs on the ocean floor Tsunamis move very quickly across the open ocean. Some tsunamis travel as fast as airplanes - more than 800 kilometers an hour. In the deep ocean, tsunamis do not look like giant waves. In fact, they are usually less than one meter hight. However, as they approach land and move into shallow water, they are forced to slow down. This causes the waves to suddenly rise up high in the air and then slam down on the land. In shallow coastal waters, tsunamis can cause wave to rise more than 30 meters high and cause terrible damage to the coast. They kill and destroy buildings and crops.
In 1960, a huge earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile. Fifteen minutes later, a tsunami hit the Chilean coast. Fifteen hours later, another tsunami hit Hilo, Hawaii. Seven hours after that, another tsunami hit Japan. Thousands of people died because of the tsunamis that occurred after the Chilean earthquake. However, the deadliest series of tsunamis happened on December 26, 2004, when a earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean. The earthquake caused tsunamis that hit a dozen countries, including Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. The tsunamis killed more than 250,000 people and destroyed hundreds of towns. The next time you go to the beach, take a few moments to appreciate both the beauty and the danger of the ocean. Never forget what the power of the waves can do.