Earth Science
A wave can travel at the speed of a jet airplane and cross an ocean before anyone at the shore sees it.
Tsunamis form when earthquakes, landslides, or eruptions suddenly displace a huge column of water, sending long waves across the ocean that grow taller as they slow in shallow water.
Tiny at sea
In deep water, a tsunami may be less than a meter high but hundreds of kilometers long.
Very fast
Deep-ocean tsunamis can travel hundreds of kilometers per hour.
Retreat is a warning
A sudden sea retreat can mean the trough has arrived before the crest.
Multiple waves
The first tsunami wave is often not the largest.
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