Tsunamis

Question 0

How frequently do large ones occur?

Answer 0

rare: about 25 in the past century

Question 1

What causes tsunamis?

Answer 1

earthquake beneath the sea floor :

• plates grind together and move the bed up and down
• hundreds of cubic metres of water can be displaced
• water slows down in shallower water and piles up = wave

Question 2

Where has the highest amount of tsunamis?

Answer 2

60% of all known tsunamis are in American Samoa and Tonga and Samoa

Question 3

Can earthquakes be predicted?

Answer 3

No

Question 4

Can tsunamis be predicted?

Answer 4

Earthquakes can’t be predicted however, geologists can determine within minutes after an earthquake whether a tsunami is likely.
People need to recognise signs of earthquakes and reach high ground