What Does tsunami Mean
The term tsunami is not part of the words accepted by the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) . In any case, it is a word widely used as a synonym for tsunami , although its meaning refers to a wave that sweeps the coast.
Therefore, in both cases there is a violent agitation of the waters of the sea , from a shaking of the bottom. The tsunami can spread to the beaches and cause severe flooding and a considerable level of destruction that is difficult for a city with limited resources to overcome.
The aforementioned shaking of the ocean floor is usually caused by an earthquake that generates the vertical displacement of water. In these cases, the most accurate thing is to speak of a tectonic tsunami .
In any case, the concept of tsunami is also used to refer to giant waves that are caused by hurricanes or storms , although they are only surface waves produced by a very strong wind .
The last tsunami of great magnitude took place on December 26, 2004 in Asia , centered on the west coast of Sumatra ( Indonesia ). The phenomenon was caused by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean that promoted the tsunami and caused the flooding of many coastal towns .
Specialists estimate that some 230,000 people died as a result of this tsunami . The magnitude of the earthquake was such that it stood at 9.3 on the Richter scale , making it the second largest earthquake since the seismograph was invented.
The megatsunami
A phenomenon that has become very popular in recent years, starting with the catastrophe of 2004, is the megatsunami; it is a tsunami that considerably exceeds the height of a normal one , or caused by an earthquake. There is talk of an average of half a kilometer of elevation of a wave that is capable of moving through the ocean at a speed greater than 400 km / h and, contrary to its smaller brothers, leaving the coast behind and breaking a long time later, having caused a level of irreparable destruction, burying entire cities in its wake.
Although our planet has witnessed more than one megatsunami in its history, the cases investigated date from so long ago that it is not possible to access testimonies or statements that help reconstruct the facts. Likewise, it is impossible to pinpoint the date and location of the next megatsunami to hit the Earth, although it is known with certainty that it will take place and that its consequences will be devastating.
Returning to the cases known to researchers, it is believed that the trigger for the tsunamis of the past was the collapse of volcanic islands ; Since these arise from an eruption of lava that solidifies when it comes into contact with water, its appearance is that of a cone with the tip directed towards the bottom of the ocean. Over the course of several millennia, their bases are inevitably eroded until the islands collapse and plunge violently, causing a giant body of water to rise up and be propelled at full speed.
The current concern is centered on the island of La Palma, which belongs to the Canary Islands archipelago. Since it has a peculiar instability due to host large volumes of water storm inside, and meets the requirements needed such as your age, no doubt imminent collapse; It is estimated that the target of this megatsunami will be the East coast of the United States, which will suffer damage only imagined in movies about natural catastrophes that force humans to rebuild their civilization.