Final answer:
The Kamchatka tsunami was probably caused by an underwater seismic event like an earthquake, resulting in massive waves particularly hazardous near coastal areas. Nuclear facilities along coastlines are at risk from tsunamis, as seen with past reactor meltdowns after tsunami-induced cooling system failures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Kamchatka tsunami was likely caused by seismic activity, such as an underwater earthquake, volcanic eruption, or landslide. These phenomena can displace large volumes of water, leading to the formation of high-energy wave fronts. When a tsunami approaches shallow waters near the coast, it slows down, the top of the wave moves faster than the bottom, causing the sea to rise dramatically, sometimes as much as 30 meters. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by an underwater earthquake with the energy equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs, which illustrates the devastating potential of tsunamis.
Nuclear power plants located along coasts are particularly vulnerable to tsunamis, as demonstrated by the incident where a tsunami knocked out the cooling systems, leading to a meltdown of three reactors and the release of nuclear material, reminiscent of the Chernobyl disaster. This underscores the risks of placing critical infrastructure in areas prone to natural disasters such as tsunamis, especially in regions like Japan which sit in an active tectonic plate zone, indicating the constant threat of similar catastrophic events in the future.