What causes Tsunami waves to retreat back into the ocean? What force is pulling the ocean waves miles out to sea and and pushing it miles in-land?

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What causes Tsunami waves to retreat back into the ocean? What force is pulling the ocean waves miles out to sea and and pushing it miles in-land?

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Gravity. “Sea Level” is where the ocean and land have found balance. In the event of a tsunami, the force of water allows it to overcome gravity and essentially move uphill to a higher elevation. Gravity immediately takes effect, slowing the water and reducing the momentum. Eventually, all is lost and the water flows downhill, back to the ocean.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Take a cup of water and rock it back and forth. Its the same principle witha tsunami.

The water has to “pile up” and form a wave. Its such a big wave that water from the beaches pulls back, into the wave. Then the wave comes in and the wave crashes.

Imagine sand. You take your hand and push the sand into a pile. Thats the water moving back and the wave forming. The sand you moved becomes part of the hill.