Is there a difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave or are they two names for the same phenomena?
Feb 18, 2010
in
Tsunami
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
4 comments
georock1959 on February 18, 2010 at 11:50 pm
A tidal wave is technically a storm surge, which is a wave generated by a combination of low air pressure, high wind, and tide. A tsunami is a wave generated by seismic activity.
A tidal wave is sometimes used in place of a tsunami, but that usage is incorrect. The result can be similar, but the distinction is in the force that generated the wave.
bluecube05 on February 18, 2010 at 11:50 pm
They are the same but oceanographers prefer the use of tsunami
heres a website
http://www.crystalinks.com/tsunami.html
Turbidite on February 18, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Same thing but different name. The origin of the work tsunami is "harbor wave" from the Japanese.
lare on February 18, 2010 at 11:50 pm
the prefered designation in scientific writing is "tsunami" or "seismic sea wave". however in common usage it is tidal wave to mean the same thing. tides are caused by gravitational action of the Sun and Moon, so tidal waves have nothing to do with tides. Storm surges are a local result of an approaching storm, there is no storm associated with a tidal wave, it happens on nice clear days. tsunamis are very small waves out in the open ocean, detectable only with scientific equipment. a large wave in the ocean is known as a "rogue", and its cause is unknown, but a rogue wave hitting the shore is very rare and can be hundreds of feet higher than any tidal wave.