Tsunami

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
What is a tsunami?
- homi (age 18)
iran
A:
A tsunami is a huge water wave. In English, they are sometimes erronously called "tidal waves"; they have little or nothing to do with the tides. We borrowed the word "tsunami" from Japanese, and the word means "harbor wave". The recent huge tsunami whose effects were felt all over the Indian Ocean was caused by a big underwater earthquake. Other large ones have been caused by volcanoes and landslides.

Mike W. (and Tom)

(published on 10/22/2007)