Tsunami

A Tsunami is a series of waves caused by a disturbance in a body of water. Such disturbances can be caused by earthquake, volcanic eruption, and any underwater explosions. Tsunamis can damage in two ways: hitting with a fast-traveling mass of water and (or)  drainage of a large mass of land.          

	Everyday Wave	Tsunami (deep)	Tsunami (shallow)
Wavelength	100m / 330ft	200km / 120mi	20km / 12mi
Height	2m / 6.6ft	1m / 3.3ft	Incredibly high
Speed	Varies	800kmh / 500mph	80kmh / 50mph

Notice that the wave length of the tsunami is very long, which makes it very hard to detect before it reaches the shore.

Japan, along with other nations, has been suffering from tsunami. Recently, in March 11th, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake (Tohoku earthquake) caused an intense tsunami.