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On December 26, 2004, an earthquake estimated at between magnitude 9.0 and 9.3 resulted from rupture of over 1000 km (620 mi) of the Andaman Subduction Zone. The rupture also generated a tsunami that caused damage throughout the Indian…

Mangrove forests are taxonomically diverse assemblages of trees and shrubs that form the dominant plant communities in tidal, saline wetlands along sheltered tropical and subtropical coasts. They have several ecological and physical functions that…

Propagating oscillations in the ocean that carry energy and momentum from one region to another. Most ocean waves (Fig. 1) are caused directly or indirectly by wind blowing across the sea surface. Many waves can propagate through…

This animation shows how undersea earthquakes cause tsunamis.

A series of long waves generated by underwater earthquakes, landslides, slumps, volcanic eruptions, meteorological events, and asteroid impacts that violently flood adjacent and distant coastlines and coastal communities, with devastating…

On December 26, 2004, a giant earthquake of magnitude 9.3 on the Richter scale was triggered in the deep ocean off western Indonesia. Simultaneously, a devastating tsunami was generated, causing destruction and loss of life around Indian…

A regional or local tsunami warning system that uses both seismic and GPS stations could broadcast more prompt and accurate tsunami warnings and could potentially reduce casualties in the event of a major earthquake, according to a…

A branch of civil engineering concerned with the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of works in the coastal zone. The purposes of these works include control of shoreline erosion; development of navigation channels and harbors; defense…

The directional dependence of certain wave phenomena, at right angles to the propagation direction of the wave. In particular, ordinary light may be regarded as composed of two such asymmetrical components, referred to as its two…

Recent advances in laser and electrooptical technology have made it possible to directly observe the motion of electrons within atoms. Specifically, because of the development of ultrashort laser pulses with durations of less than 100 femtoseconds…