Portal:Tsunamis

The Tsunami portal

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand

A tsunami (/(t)suːˈnɑːmi, (t)sʊˈ-/ (t)soo-NAH-mee, (t)suu-; from Japanese: 津波, lit. 'harbour wave', pronounced [tsɯnami]) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and underwater explosions (including detonations, landslides, glacier calvings, meteorite impacts and other disturbances) above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Unlike normal ocean waves, which are generated by wind, or tides, which are in turn generated by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun, a tsunami is generated by the displacement of water from a large event.

Selected article

The Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC) was a unique learning and accountability initiative in the relief and development sector. It was first established in February 2005 to carry out joint evaluations of the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Events that can cause a tsunami

Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are called submarine landslides. (Full article...)

List of events articles

Did you know...

... that the village office on the islet of Koja Doi was destroyed by a tsunami in 1992, after which it was rebuilt across a causeway on the larger Besar Island?
... that one issue facing tsunami sirens in New Zealand has been a youth subculture that steals sirens to compete for the loudest and clearest sound?
... that the Joint Operations Command was created based on lessons learned from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami?
... that tsunami stones serve as risk warnings for tsunamis in Japan?
... that the Yonezawa Shokai Building is the only building left in the former city center of Rikuzentakata after it was destroyed by a tsunami?

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General images

The following are images from various tsunami-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Diagram showing several measures to describe a tsunami size, including height, inundation and run-up (from Tsunami)
Image 2The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami at Ao Nang, Krabi Province, Thailand (from Tsunami)
Image 3A seawall at Tsu, Mie Prefecture in Japan
Image 4Tsunami aftermath in Aceh, Indonesia, December 2004 (from Tsunami)
Image 5Tsunami Early Warning Tower board in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 6Diagram showing how earthquakes can generate a tsunami (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 7Mast with warning system, and sign detailing escape routes, on the coast of Okumatsushima, Miyagi prefecture, Japan (this coast was severely hit by the 2011 tsunami) (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 8Lisbon earthquake and tsunami in November 1755 (from Tsunami)
Image 9Drawing of tectonic plate boundary before earthquake (from Tsunami)
Image 10Calculated travel time map for the 1964 Alaska tsunami (in hours) (from Tsunami)
Image 11The wave further slows and amplifies as it hits land. Only the largest waves crest. (from Tsunami)
Image 12Evacuation route sign on the pavement in Kamakura, Japan (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 13Over-riding plate bulges under strain, causing tectonic uplift. (from Tsunami)
Image 14Tsunami warning system in East Timor (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 15When the wave enters shallow water, it slows down and its amplitude (height) increases. (from Tsunami)
Image 16The energy released produces tsunami waves. (from Tsunami)
Image 17An illustration of the rhythmic "drawback" of surface water associated with a wave. It follows that a very large drawback may herald the arrival of a very large wave. (from Tsunami)
Image 18Plate slips, causing subsidence and releasing energy into water. (from Tsunami)
Image 19Japanese Tsunami warning sign (from Tsunami warning system)
Image 20One of the deep water buoys used in the DART tsunami warning system (from Tsunami)
Image 21Satellite image of Lake Kivu (from Tsunamis in lakes)
Image 22Evacuation route sign in a low-lying coastal area on the West Coast of the United States (from Tsunami warning system)

Selected tsunami article

There have been many tsunamis involving the territory that is now Indonesia. (Full article...)

Selected tsunami articles

In the news

10 October 2025 – 2025 Davao earthquake: The United States Pacific Tsunami Warning Center raises a tsunami alert for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Palau for more than two hours. Local authorities record "minor tsunamis" in Talaud Islands, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, and an inch-long wave in Tandag, Surigao del Sur, Philippines. (BBC News)
18 September 2025 –: A 7.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Kamchatka, Russia, but there were no reports of damage. Tsunami warnings are issued for the region. (Reuters) (TVP Info)
30 July 2025 – 2025 Kamchatka earthquake: A M_w 8.8 earthquake strikes off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Tsunami alerts have been issued along the Pacific coast of many countries. (The New York Times)
16 July 2025 –: A tsunami advisory is issued after a M_w 7.3 earthquake strikes the southern coast of Alaska, United States. (WAGA-TV)