RockenRyan: Tsunami

Today I am going to tell you about tsunami's and how they happen. A tsunami is a harbor wave. Tsu is harbor and nami is wave. Tsunami's are caused by plate tectonics. Plate tectonics are plates in the earths crust. When a continental plate crashes into a oceanic plate the oceanic plate goes under the continental plate and thats what causes a tsunami.

Tsunami's are also caused by underwater volcanoes and landslides. Landslides are movements of rock, debris, and soil down a slope of land. When the rock and debris in the ocean falls down on the ocean floor it sends the water going up higher. As it gets closer to the shore the water gets higher and makes a tsunami.

There is one more way a tsunami can be caused. A underwater volcano can cause a tsunami. A underwater volcano is a volcano that is formed underwater. When two pieces of oceanic crust come together the magma is pushing them up making an underwater volcano. When the volcano erupts it creates movement on the ocean floor moving the tectonic plates creating a tsunami.

A tsunami travels in every direction. A tsunami can travel up to 500 miles per hour. When the tsunami gets closer to shore it slows down and the waves get higher. When you are all the way out in the ocean you would never fell the tsunami. When you are at the beach you will never when it is coming. Some tsunami's can get 100 to 300 ft tall.