Possibility of 10-foot tsunami waves in Hawaii following 8.8 earthquake in Russia
Countries and islands around the Pacific are preparing for a potential tsunami event after a massive 8.8 earthquake hit the eastern coast of Russia this morning
Highlights
- A 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Russia this morning
- Countries and islands around the Pacific are preparing for a potential tsunami event
- A large tsunami can flood low-lying coastal areas more than a mile inland
There is a possibility of 10-foot tsunami waves in some coasts of the Northern Hawaiian Islands.
Bite-Sized: 10 most powerful earthquakes ever recorded on earth
Honolulu's mayor told residents to move to higher ground and Hawaii's governor urged people to immediately evacuate coastal zones. "It will not hit one beach, it will wrap around the islands," Gov. Josh Green said.
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What is a tsunami? They can look like flash flooding or a wall of water, and are unpredictable
Countries and islands around the Pacific are preparing for a potential tsunami event after a massive 8.8 earthquake hit the eastern coast of Russia this morning.
Though often depicted as a giant wave in popular media, it could take on a number of forms depending on the location, says CNN.
A tsunami forms when the ocean is suddenly displaced – for instance, by an earthquake, volcanic eruption or landslide.
That disruption then moves huge amounts of water, which can spread outward across the ocean in all directions.
But not all tsunamis look or act the same, according to the National Weather Service – and even one single tsunami can be felt differently, mild on one coast but severe on another.
Tsunamis in the deep ocean aren't very noticeable, but move extremely fast. Then as they approach land, they slow down but get much taller. According to the NWS, once it hits shore, a tsunami's waves can "look like a fast-rising flood or a wall of water." Sometimes the shore drains away first, like low tide, before the full force of the tsunami slams onto land.
Tsunamis also aren't just one wave – but are a series of waves that can flood the land, drain away, then reflood again over a period of hours. A large tsunami can flood low-lying coastal areas more than a mile inland, according to the NWS.
