Weather Tidbits: Tsunami Formation

This Weather Tidbits deals with how tsunamis are formed. Tsunami form when the earth’s plates rub together against the fault line causing an underwater earthquake. The earthquake causes a vertical push of sea water; and as the wave spreads into shallower waters it grows in height until it hits land. Tsunamis can also be caused by landslides, volcanoes, comets, asteroids and even some types of weather. They are also fast moving with speeds over 500 mph and slowing down as they approach land; however the height of them can reach as high as 100 feet which could last hours to days.