Tsunami

Tsunami are not only a modern phenomenon. The decline of the Minoan civilization is believed to have been triggered by a powerful tsunami that hit the area in 1480 B.C. and destroyed its coastal settlements. Japan has had 65 destructive tsunami between A.D. 684 and 1960. Chile was hit in 1562 and Hawaii has a written history of tsunami since 1821. The Indian and Atlantic Oceans also have long tsunami histories. Researchers are concerned that the impact of future tsunami, as well as hurricanes, will be worse because of intensive development of coastal areas in the last 30 years.

The destructive 1946 tsunami at Hilo, Hawaii, caused researchers to think about the problem of tsunami prediction. It became clear that if we could predict when the waves are going to hit, we could take steps to minimize the impact of the great waves.