By T.J. Muscaro Tsunami waves started arriving in Hawaii after 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday night after a 8.8 magnitude earthquake six hours earlier off eastern Russia. The biggest waves of 4 feet were recorded in Haleiwa on Oahu’s northwest shores and Kahului Beach on Maui island. Live webcams on the islands of Kauai […]
Tag: Tsunami
Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. Out in the depths of the ocean, tsunami waves do not dramatically increase in height. But as the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. The speed of tsunami waves depends on ocean depth rather than the distance from the source of the wave. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. While tsunamis are often referred to as tidal waves, this name is discouraged by oceanographers because tides have little to do with these giant waves.
