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Apr 25, 2014

Tsunami Survival Guide: What You Need to Know

Tsunamis are not only some of the most powerful natural disasters in the world; they are also some of the most unpredictable. Because of that unpredictable nature, knowing what to do before, during and after a tsunami can be the key to your survival chances. With that in mind, here...

May 7, 2014

Mind the Gap: New Evidence for Alaskan Tsunamis Found

This century's deadly tsunamis kicked off an intense search for buried clues to prehistoric killer waves along Alaska's southern shores. The coastal geology there has unleashed some of the biggest tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean, but the historical record of past earthquakes and waves is sparse. Now, new evidence uncovered...

May 20, 2014

Could Gentle Caribbean Unleash a Devastating Tsunami?

The Caribbean usually conjures images of white sandy beaches and sparkling turquoise water, but beneath the sea's tranquil surface, powerful forces are at work. A massive earthquake in the Caribbean could trigger a deadly tsunami that would hit coastlines from Puerto Rico to New York, some say, though others say...

May 23, 2014

No Evidence of Megatsunamis Slamming California Coast

Several deadly tsunamis hit California in the past four centuries, but there's no evidence of a devastating megatsunami, according to a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Geologists from the USGS, the California Geological Survey and Humboldt State University searched for evidence of ancient tsunamis at more than...

Jun 30, 2014

How Extinct Undersea Volcanoes Trigger Rare 'Tsunami Earthquakes'

How unusual slow earthquakes can spawn powerful tsunamis is a long-standing mystery that researchers may have finally solved. Called tsunami earthquakes, these slow quakes are capable of creating huge waves that can cause serious damage to coastal cities. Tsunami earthquakes are not like typical earthquakes. They happen slowly and don't...

Oct 21, 2014

500-Year-Old Traces of Monster Hawaii Tsunami Discovered

This story was updated Oct. 21 at 2:15 p.m. EDT. A powerful earthquake in Alaska sent towering waves up to 30 feet (9 meters) tall crashing down on Hawaii about 500 years ago, leaving behind fragments of coral, mollusk shells and coarse beach sand in a sinkhole located on the...

Nov 5, 2014

Small Islands Amplify Tsunami Flooding

Small offshore islands help protect beaches from storm waves, but they're no match for tsunamis. It turns out that small islands boost the power of big tsunami waves, rather than absorbing their impact, a new study shows. In a computer model, a small island amplified tsunami flooding directly behind it...

Dec 26, 2014

Tsunami Science: Advances Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tragedy

The Indian Ocean tsunami was one of the worst natural disasters in history. Enormous waves struck countries in South Asia and East Africa with little to no warning, killing 243,000 people. The destruction played out on television screens around the world, fed by shaky home videos. The outpouring of aid...

Dec 28, 2014

Ten Years After Indonesian Tsunami, Are Coasts Any Safer?

This article was originally published on The Conversation. The publication contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights. Ten years ago we witnessed one of the worst natural disasters in history, when a huge earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami which swept across...

Apr 3, 2015

2011 Japan Tsunami Unleashed Ozone-Destroying Chemicals

The 2011 tsunami that struck Japan released thousands of tons of ozone-destroying chemicals and greenhouse gases into the air, a new study shows. Thanks to the country's strict building codes, the enormous magnitude-9 Tohoku earthquake left Japan's homes and businesses relatively untouched. But the earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami that...

Apr 27, 2015

LA's Island Playground Could Trigger Tsunamis

PASADENA, Calif. — Landslides coming off Catalina Island's steep slopes could send tsunamis racing toward popular Los Angeles and Orange County beaches with just a few minutes of warning, geoscientists said on April 23 here at the annual meeting of the Seismological Society of America. Researchers discovered chaotic deposits that...

Apr 28, 2015

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Had Deadly Predecessors

PASADENA, Calif. — Indian Ocean tsunamis destroyed one of the world's most important silk-route ports in the 15th century, new research finds. Yet there is little record of this devastating tragedy passed down in stories or written records on the island of Sumatra. Researchers now think the history vanished because...

Jun 1, 2015

Continental Collision Could Trigger California Tsunami

Massive undersea earthquakes off the coast of California could send a tsunami crashing into Los Angeles or San Diego, new research suggests. As the North American and Pacific tectonic plates grind past each other, large chunks of Earth's crust wedged between them get squeezed and twisted off Southern California and...

Oct 2, 2015

Mega Tsunami with 500-Foot Waves Swallowed Ancient Island

A mega tsunami taller than a 50-story skyscraper once engulfed an island off the west coast of Africa, researchers say. This finding suggests the giant landslides and killer waves that such tsunamis can trigger might pose a major hazard to people living on islands and coasts, scientists added. Tsunamis are...

Jan 7, 2019

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Mile-High Tsunami That Spread Through Earth's Oceans

When the dinosaur-killing asteroid collided with Earth more than 65 million years ago, it did not go gently into that good night. Rather, it blasted a nearly mile-high tsunami through the Gulf of Mexico that caused chaos throughout the world's oceans, new research finds. The 9-mile-across (14 kilometers) space rock,...