How Tsunamis are born: The science behind devastating tsunami waves

India Today

An 8.8 magnitude quake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula sent tsunamis racing across the Pacific, striking Russia, Japan, and even the US. But what exactly turns a quake into a city-erasing wave?

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00:00An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula which caused tsunamis to

00:04strike Russia, Japan and the US. But how exactly are these towering walls of water formed that

00:10can erase entire coastlines and sometimes even cities? It starts when the seabed suddenly shifts,

00:15lifting or dropping quickly underwater. This pushes huge amounts of water up, creating waves

00:20that race across the ocean. Out in deep water, these waves might barely be noticeable. But as

00:25they get closer to the shore, they slow down and grow taller, sometimes turning into towering

00:29walls of water. How big they get often depends on how strong the underwater quake was. And

00:35it's not just earthquakes, underwater volcanoes, landslides and even meteor strikes can cause

00:40tsunamis too.

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