# Tsunami question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948 "2025-12-22T15:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/21 "2025-12-24T23:17:51Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > A tsunami can also be caused by a large meteor strike. The potential size of such a tsunami is much larger than the ones caused by earthquakes, although such an event has not occurred in human history. Yes. I recall reading a scientist talking about impact -generated tsunamis many years ago and he mentioned that the really big ones (such as the sort a “Dinosaur Killer” impact would create) could be huge enough as to actually expose the ocean floor as they traveled, and wash over low mountain ranges. _Vastly_ larger and more powerful than the more normal tsunami being discussed. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/22 "2025-12-25T18:47:21Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > a “Dinosaur Killer” impact … could be huge enough as to actually expose the ocean floor Sheesh. I wonder if there’s a meteorite at the bottom of an ocean or sea that caused mountain-high flooding once, wiped out cities, and resulted in all the flood myths found around the middle and near east. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/23 "2025-12-25T18:48:43Z")
given that we are in FQ, I’d love to see a quote (or others weighing in) on the “expose the ocean floor” … I find it very hard to believe any force being able of displacing 100s of meters of ocean water (speaking depth-wise here) … **within seconds … AS THEY TRAVELED** … water (and liquids ) don’t work that way - the harder you hit them with any force the more “solid” they become. Any more definite answers? (I gladly eat my words 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/24 "2025-12-25T18:51:59Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > all the flood myths found around the middle and near east. At the end of the last glacial period, sea level rose by several hundred feet. Spoken language had developed by then but, not writing. Give it a few thousand years by word of mouth and a myth is born. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/25 "2025-12-25T19:43:23Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Sheesh. I wonder if there’s a meteorite at the bottom of an ocean or sea that caused mountain-high flooding once, wiped out cities, and resulted in all the flood myths found around the middle and near east. Almost certainly not. If this had happened, there’d be physical evidence all over the place in that part of the world and even in other parts. Since that area is the most heavily researched part of the world in terms of archeology, that evidence would have been found long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/26 "2025-12-25T20:20:52Z")
> [@Al128](#): > > water (and liquids ) don’t work that way - the harder you hit them with any force the more “solid” they become. Keep in mind that -as demonstrated by the resulting craters - the forces involved _are_ large to shove aside huge amounts of solid rock. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/27 "2025-12-25T20:32:24Z")
A rock solid argument,… ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/28 "2025-12-25T20:37:41Z")
I remember watching the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami as videos were posted. What struck me was how bewildered everyone seemed on the dry beach when the water inexplicably receded. And then roared onto land with monstrous energy. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2025, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/29 "2025-12-25T21:18:28Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Usually earthquakes are the cause, but underwater landslides can also generate tsunamis. They are starting to call earthquake giant waves “seismic sea waves”, which is a better term. I dunno what was wrong with “tidal wave”. > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Tsunamis are also sometimes referred to as “tidal waves”, which is (IMHO) a better description. Instead of a wall of water, think of it as a HUGE tide that just keeps coming and coming and coming. Right. Okay, yes “Tidal waves” are not caused by tides, but the expression was meant to show they occur in tidal areas. Tsunami means “Harbor Wave” but they arent caused by or occur only in harbors. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/30 "2025-12-26T00:16:01Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > What struck me was how bewildered everyone seemed on the dry beach when the water inexplicably receded. If I had been there, that would have been me. I had absolutely no idea about the specifics of tsunamis before then. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/31 "2025-12-26T00:27:42Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > What struck me was how bewildered everyone seemed on the dry beach when the water inexplicably receded. > > If I had been there, that would have been me. I had absolutely no idea about the specifics of tsunamis before then. That image has stayed with me to this day. The sheer energy of so much water receding and thundering forward was unbelievable. I imagine I would have been paralyzed with fear and confusion as well. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/32 "2025-12-26T00:45:52Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I remember watching the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami as videos were posted. > > What struck me was how bewildered everyone seemed on the dry beach when the water inexplicably receded. My sister happened to be on the beach in southeastern India on Boxing Day, 2004, and she saw the ocean recede. Fortunately for her, she had just recently graduated from college with a degree in marine biology, which also included a course or two on marine geology, and she knew right away what was happening. So while the other people on the beach, a mix of locals and tourists, stood and gawked, my sister shouted at them to run, and started sprinting toward the hills. This was at the edge of the tsunami impact zone, so nobody was killed and the local village was mostly spared, although they did lose all their fishing boats. My sister and a few others ended up staying there for as few months, helping rebuild and raising money from abroad to buy new vessels. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948/33 "2025-12-26T00:51:19Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > I remember watching the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami as videos were posted. > > > > What struck me was how bewildered everyone seemed on the dry beach when the water inexplicably receded. > > My sister happened to be on the beach in southeastern India on Boxing Day, 2004, and she saw the ocean recede. Fortunately for her, she had just recently graduated from college with a degree in marine biology, which also included a course or two on marine geology, and she knew right away what was happening. So while the other people on the beach, a mix of locals and tourists, stood and gawked, my sister shouted at them to run, and started sprinting toward the hills. > > This was at the edge of the tsunami impact zone, so nobody was killed and the local village was mostly spared, although they did lose all their fishing boats. My sister and a few others ended up staying there for as few months, helping rebuild and raising money from abroad to buy new vessels. What a horrifying experience but such a compassionate response by your sister. The clean up must have been brutal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tsunami-question/1025948.md?page=1)