Tsunamis More Likely to Hit California Than Thought?
Underwater landslides are bigger risks than feared, expert says.
That's because tsunamis generated by underwater landslides might be more common than thought, based on a new analysis of monster waves created by the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. (See pictures of the Haiti earthquake aftermath.)
Tsunamis are generally thought to be produced by earthquakes in which one part of the crust is thrust above or beneath another. This motion causes the sea to slosh as the seabed rises or falls, setting off a mighty wave, said team leader Matthew Hornbach, a geophysicist at the University of Texas in Austin.
But in the Haiti earthquake,
DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.
