How a tsunami originates

Tsunami in Indonesia, in 2004

Giant waves, those that sometimes appear after a devastating earthquake, look like something out of an apocalyptic movie. This meteorological phenomenon causes major damage on the coasts, taking with him everything in his path.

Today we'll see how a tsunami originates, and the countries where they are most at risk of becoming the "chosen" scenarios for the waves of the port, as they are known in Japan.

Tsunamis are gigantic waves that can between 7 and 33 meters Tall. Sometimes they arise after an earthquake, either caused by an earthquake or a volcanic eruption. When an earthquake slides land under the sea, the water at the surface rises several meters, moving towards the coast and impacting the land.

These are phenomena that, due to their devastation, scientists hope to be able to prevent them in advance, because today it is still difficult for them. Still, thanks to the rapid advancement of technology, they are getting closer and closer to achieving it. They use for it seismographs, which record the different characteristics (intensity and duration, among others) of the earth tremors produced by an earthquake; as well as space satellites showing images of the oceans.

Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

The countries where the most tsunamis originate are those that are located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, that is, in: Japan, Australia o Hawaii. In countries like ours, Spain, the risk is much lower, however, we are not exempt from the danger: on November 1, 1755 Cádiz and Huelva suffered the consequences of a devastating wave that left 1240 dead, after an earthquake between 8 and 3 on the Richter scale that hit Lisbon. It is true that more than two centuries have passed since this terrible event, but due to the devastating consequences of a tsunami, scientists hope to have a alert system cash.