What is the Difference Between Tsunami and Flood?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between a tsunami and a flood is their cause, the type of water movement, and the locations they typically occur. Here are the key differences:
- Cause: Tsunamis are caused by seismic activities such as earthquakes, underwater landslides, volcanic eruptions, or even meteorite ocean impacts. Floods, on the other hand, are caused by large volumes of water like lakes, oceans, or rivers, heavy rainfall, and severe snow melting.
- Type of Water Movement: Tsunamis are a series of waves, whereas floods are water overflows. Tsunami waves can be hundreds of feet high in shallow water and travel as fast as 500 miles per hour. Floods involve a more gradual rise in water levels, often due to heavy precipitation or overflowing rivers and lakes.
- Location: Tsunamis usually occur in Pacific areas with large tectonically active regions. Floods are more common in areas with flat and broad lands near any waterways or bodies of water.
Both tsunamis and floods are hydrological disasters that can lead to significant environmental, human, and financial losses. They can cause widespread destruction and loss of life, and it is essential to be prepared and informed about these natural disasters to ensure the safety of your family and community.
Comparative Table: Tsunami vs Flood
| Feature | Tsunami | Flood |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A series of waves generated by large-scale oceanic disturbances, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or underwater explosions. | Water overflows caused by heavy rainfall, water from lakes, oceans, or rivers, and rapid snowmelt. |
| Cause | Caused by large earthquakes near or under the ocean, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, or onshore landslides. | Caused by localized heavy rainfall, water overflow, or other factors that lead to rapid water level increase. |
| Occurrence | Tsunamis usually happen in the Pacific areas due to its large tectonically active regions. | Floods occur in areas with large volumes of water like lakes, oceans, or rivers, and in areas with flat and broad lands near waterways. |
| Damage | Tsunamis can cause extensive damage, destroying entire villages and drowning anything in their path. | Floods can cause damage to houses on the beach, drowning, and other consequences in areas with rapid water level increases. |
| Wave Characteristics | Tsunamis have low amplitude but a high wavelength, which can be a few hundred kilometers long, and are generally unnoticed at sea but prominent in shallow waters or land. | Floods have various wave characteristics depending on the cause, but generally they have shorter wave periods than tsunamis. |
In summary, while both tsunamis and floods are hydrological disasters that can lead to environmental, human, and financial losses, they differ in their causes, occurrence, and wave characteristics.
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- Cyclone vs Hurricane
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- Catastrophe vs Disaster
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- Boundary Fill vs Flood Fill
- Earthquake vs Tremor
- Hazard vs Disaster
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