Planet Earth, features and articles | Educational Science

May 17, 2012

Small Earthquakes May Cause Surprisingly Big Tsunamis

Mysterious small tremors in the most earthquake-prone areas on Earthmay be the cause of surprisingly large tsunamis, researchers say. These findings might also shed light on the huge tsunami generated by the disastrous magnitude 9.0 quake that hit Japan in 2011. Nearly all of the 10 largest recorded earthquakes on...

May 31, 2012

Earthquakes Off Alaska Pose US Tsunami Risk

The risk of a deadly tsunami ravaging the United States is now leading scientists to investigate hazards posed by giant earthquakes off the Alaskan coast. Scientists are concentrating on the Alaskan-Aleutian subduction zone, where the tectonic plate underlying the Pacific Ocean is diving underneath the continental plate underlying North America....

Jun 25, 2012

Tracking Japan's Tsunami Debris (Infographic)

The devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011, claimed nearly 16,000 lives, injured 6,000 people, and destroyed or damaged countless buildings. As a result of the disaster, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects remnants of the debris that the tsunami washed into the...

Aug 6, 2012

Video Captures Near-Deadly Iceberg 'Tsunami'

One second you're volunteering to be your uncle's translator, and the next a glacial wave nearly sinks your ship. Jens Møller was visiting family near Ilulissat, Greenland, when he decided to go for a boat ride with his uncle to serve as a translator for an Australian tourist, and to...

Aug 29, 2012

Boat Lost in Japan Tsunami Washes Up in Canada

A small Japanese boat confirmed to have been lost during the 2011 Japan tsunami has washed up on a remote Canadian island. The green-and-white vessel was discovered by two locals on Spring Island, northwest of Vancouver Island. British Columbia's Emergency Management agency then matched the boat's serial number to one...

Aug 31, 2012

Why Philippines Earthquake Tsunami Warning Was Cancelled

The large earthquake that struck off the eastern coast of the Philippines today (Aug. 31) at 8:47 p.m. local time sparked tsunami warnings across a large swath of the neighboring Pacific region, yet those warnings were canceled not long after. The magnitude-7.6 earthquake hit about 58 miles (63 kilometers) from...

Sep 13, 2012

How Wave Shapes Could Explain Deadly Tsunamis

X- and Y-shaped ocean waves that are often seen at beaches may help explain why tsunamis can be so devastating, researchers say. Ocean waves can sometimes interact to yield ripples that are much taller than the simply added combined heights of their originating waves, a sign of what researchers call...

Sep 21, 2012

23 Nuclear Plants in Tsunami Risk Zones, Study Finds

In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami set off a partial meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant on Japan's coast. A recent study led by European researchers found Fukushima is not alone, as 22 other plants around the world may be similarly susceptible to destructive tsunami waves, with most...

Oct 28, 2012

Tsunami Threat to Hawaii After Canadian Earthquake Canceled

A tsunami warning and advisory have been canceled for Hawaii after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the west coast of Canada Saturday night local time sent small tsunamis to southeast Alaska, coastal British Columbia and off Haida Gwaii, formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands. The National Weather Service had...

Oct 28, 2012

Ancient Tsunami Swept Through Swiss Lake

An ancient tsunami in a Swiss lake triggered by an Alpine landslide suggests that cities now on the lake's shore may face dangers more commonly associated with large oceans, researchers say. Tsunamis are monster waves reaching more than 100 feet (30 meters) high. Earthquakes often generate them, but landslides can...

Nov 15, 2012

US East Coast Faces Variety of Tsunami Threats

Although the risk is small, tsunamis are possible on the East Coast of the United States from a variety of sources, according to new research. And as Hurricane Sandy showed, the region is completely unprepared for a major influx of water, said U.S. Geological Survey researcher Uri ten Brink. The...

Nov 27, 2012

Fake Tsunami Tests Atlantic Warning Systems

A faux tsunami will strike shorelines throughout the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea today (Nov. 27) and tomorrow. The simulation is a test of a new early warning system for the region being run by the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO). The exercise, called...

Dec 4, 2012

Tsunami Waves Amplified by Buildings

SAN FRANCISCO – Scientists have re-created an entire city in miniature to model the way a tsunami crashes onshore, and have found that buildings can exacerbate the oncoming rush of water. The findings, presented yesterday (Dec. 3) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union, show that even if...

Dec 6, 2012

Tsunamis, Earthquakes Overdue in Lake Tahoe

SAN FRANCISCO — A tsunami-producing fault in Lake Tahoe is overdue for another earthquake, scientists said here yesterday (Dec. 4) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. The West Tahoe Fault is capable of producing a magnitude-7.3 earthquake and tsunamis up to 30 feet (10 meters) high in...

Dec 6, 2012

Landslide-Driven Megatsunamis Threaten Hawaii

SAN FRANCISCO — It's almost unimaginable: a tsunami more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) high bearing down on the island of Hawaii. But scientists have new evidence of these monster waves, called megatsunamis, doing just that. The findings were presented here yesterday (Dec. 5) at the annual meeting of the...