What is Tsunami?

A tsunami is a deadly series of seismic sea waves: ocean waves triggered primarily by the movement of the ocean floor during strong earth quakes. Volcanic eruptions in or near the ocean may also causes tsunami. Tsunami generally cause major damage to coastlines and can cause death.

The worst tsunami in history occurred after a 9.0 earthquake off the northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004. The resulting oceanwide tsunami struck Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives and Africa. Nearly a quarter million people died as a result.

A tidal wave is an ocean wave of unusual strength caused by the same tidal forces that create the daily tidal ebb and flow. One such wave appears annually at China's Hangzhou Bay