GeoMiner Free earth-science tools

Built by a geologist

Tsunami identification and geology

A series of ocean waves generated by sudden displacement of the sea floor, typically caused by submarine earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or asteroid impacts. Tsunamis travel at speeds of 600–900 km/hr in the open ocean with wave heights of less than 1 meter, but they slow dramatically and amplify to devastating heights 10–30+ m as they approach shallow coastlines. Field: geomorphology. Example: The 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake on the Japan Trench subduction zone, reached maximum run-up heights of 40.5 m and caused over 18,000 deaths along the northeastern coast of Japan.. Related terms: Earthquake, Subduction, Seismicity, Coastal geology.

  • Browse all geology and mining glossary terms — Compare this entry with the complete GeoMiner glossary collection.
  • Previous: Transform fault — A plate boundary along which two tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other, with no net creation or destruction of lithosphere.
  • Next: Tuff — A rock composed of consolidated volcanic ash and other fine pyroclastic material <2 mm diameter ejected during explosive volcanic eruptions.
  • Subduction

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.127987+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

Read GeoMiner's editorial methodology or report a content issue.

Common questions

What does Tsunami mean in geology?
A series of ocean waves generated by sudden displacement of the sea floor, typically caused by submarine earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or asteroid impacts. Tsunamis travel at speeds of 600–900 km/hr in the open ocean with wave heights of less than 1 meter, but they slow dramatically and amplify to devastating heights 10–30+ m as they approach shallow coastlines.
What is an example of Tsunami?
The 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake on the Japan Trench subduction zone, reached maximum run-up heights of 40.5 m and caused over 18,000 deaths along the northeastern coast of Japan.
Which earth-science field uses the term Tsunami?
Tsunami is used in geomorphology.
Which terms are related to Tsunami?
Related terms in this reference are Earthquake, Subduction, Seismicity, Coastal geology.

JavaScript is loading the interactive GeoMiner experience. The identification tools provide educational candidates, not laboratory confirmation.