A tsunami is a wave train, or series of waves, generated in a body of water. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and even the impact of cosmic bodies, such as meteorites, can generate tsunamis. These waves can savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life. In English, the word “tsunami” means "harbor wave." Represented by two characters, the top character, "tsu," means harbor, while the bottom character, "nami," means "wave." In the …showed first 75 words of 542 total…

…showed last 75 words of 542 total…the coast with tremendous amounts of energy. Tsunamis have great erosional effects, stripping beaches of sand that may have taken years to accumulate and undermining trees and other coastal vegetation. The fast-moving water associated with the inundating tsunami can crush homes and other coastal structures. Tsunamis may reach a maximum vertical height onshore above sea level of 10, 20, and even 30 meters. Leaving mass destruction behind them Tsunamis are a very real and very dangerous natural occurrence.