Decoding Tsunamis and their Warnings : Most think of Tsunamis as one Wave

A powerful earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the US West Coast.

- PT News

The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the US Geological Survey. The temblor struck early Wednesday local time, which was still Tuesday in the US. Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides. After an underwater earthquake, the seafloor rises and drops, which lifts water up and down. The energy from this pushes sea water that transfers to waves. Many people think of tsunamis as one wave. But they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore l