Generation of tsunamis from earthquakes: a literature review

Tsunamis are some of the most incredible yet devastating forces of mother nature. Their sheer and immense power is something of fascination. Earthquakes are primarily responsible for the generation of these massive waves. But what exactly is the link between earthquakes and tsunamis? Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves produced by the displacement of great volumes of water. The displacement of water is typically caused by submarine earthquakes. These earthquakes deform the seafloor, causing the sudden dislocation of a few to tens of cubic kilometers of water. Approximately 80% of tsunamis are the result of underwater earthquakes. Modern methods of studying the relationship between earthquakes and tsunamis involve the use of virtual laboratories, computational models, physical models, kinematic models, and dislocation models. Large tsunamis require substantial parent earthquakes because more than 96% of their energy is stored in the ocean. The resulting tsunami is a means of releasing energy. The larger the earthquake, the larger the proceeding tsunami will be. Though less than 1% of an earthquake’s energy is actually converted into tsunamis, the energy is capable of generating deadly and catastrophic tsunamis. Further investigation may be proposed to analyze other causes of tsunamis, such as submarine landslides.