Question

How does energy transfer to make a powerful tsunami?

Answer 1

A tsunami's energy originates from a large displacement of water due to an undersea earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. The energy is carried across the ocean and amplifies as it approaches shallow coastal areas, converting to kinetic energy which can cause extensive damage.

Step-by-step explanation:

Energy transfer that creates a powerful tsunami begins with a major disturbance in the Earth's crust, such as an undersea earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption. The sudden displacement of water sets off waves that carry the energy across the ocean. As a tsunami moves into shallower coastal waters, its speed decreases, but its height can greatly increase.

The energy transition is from the initial kinetic energy from the earthquake to the potential energy as the wave travels across the ocean, and finally back to kinetic energy as the wave encounters the shallows and increases in amplitude, potentially causing massive destruction. This explains why tsunamis, despite their origins, can release energy equivalent to thousands of atomic bombs, like the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

Answer 2

Many scientists use the term seismic wave to describe tsunamis, since these waves are often created by seismic, or earthquake, activity along the ocean floor. Tsunamis can also arise through a sudden and massive undersea movement, such as a landslide or volcanic eruption.