The electricity just came on after being out for 19 hours !

[Baja Margie]

Whoa, that was a long one, the ice cream melted, what a storm !

Anyway, last night someone asked about tsunamis and just as I was getting ready to post, bang !

Does anyone still want to know about tsunamis?

[Gothic Sponge]

1. I do!

Sorry about your power loss.

[qnr]

2. Welcome back. Was wondering from your post last night whether

you had a kerosene powered computer or something.

[n2mark]

3. Where do you live?

[Baja Margie]

5. Baja Ca. Norte

[Baja Margie]

4. Okay,

no kerosene computer, but I got to use all the kerosene lamps, I had 7 of them going !

Okay, someone asked what the difference was between big waves and Tsunami's, and why you can't surf a tsunami. First, I wish I had a million dollars to help all those people, god, did anyone catch Big Dawg a couple days ago coming out and saying someone better start acting on relief for these people? Shit, Bush had his thumb up his ass before he did anything. Probably drunk.

Anyway, waves are created by the wind. A Tsunami is created by an upheaval on the ocean floor,or actually any big disturbance that displaces water. It actually sucks the tide with it as it travels, or "tidal wave". It's a churning mass, not a smooth surface you can surf. It builds in height and strength as it approaches shore.

So here's a diagram:



Here's a big wave being surfed:(note the "smooth " surface)



I would imagine a Tsunami might look like this:




The physics of a tsunami:

http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/physics/physics.html

Mike said BBC had good coverage today, I haven't checked it out yet.
There's loads of info on the web.