What's the difference between a tsunami and a tidal wave?

Answer 1

A tsunami is caused by yhe disturbances of the sea while the tidal wave is by the connection by moon

Answer 2

Wind waves, I believe, don't have waves that go as high as the waves of a tsunami. Tsunamis are generated by a subduction in the underwater plates beneath the seabed. Wind waves are created after harsh storms (including hard rains): The waves start to get higher and higher from the wind. When a tsunami hits the shore, more waves come afterward: at least three. When a wind wave hits the shore, the waves continue again and again until they die down, or the storm.

- Blue Willow

Answer 3

Regular waves are caused by winds and/or the ordinary tidal movement of the oceans, which is regulated by the movement of the Moon and it's proximity to the Earth. Tsunami's usually have some other cause behind them- usually an undersea earthquake, that occurs in a tectonic plate far out to sea on the ocean floor. Also, a regular wave is short and follows one another. A tsunami wave is one big wave with all the water behind it. Both waves break at around the same area, but when you see the water coming from a regular wave, that little bit of water comes on shore and goes back. A tsunami wave, however, the wave comes on shore, and all that water behind it comes toward the shore with powerful forces causing the tsunami to not go back until all the water comes on shore, causing severe damage.

Answer 4

At the shore, a tsunami wave is typically about 20,000 meters, 20 km, or 12.5 miles, long. It has a duration of about 15 minutes, which is plenty of time to flood a large area. This is about 1000 times as long as a wind wave.

All waves have their wavelength longer at sea, and shorter as they approach land. In the process the height of the wave increases.

A wind wave has a wavelength of typically 100 meters at sea.

A tsunami wave has a wavelength of typically 200 kilometers at sea and moves at 800 km/hr. At sea it is not very tall, and since it takes 15 minutes or so to pass, people on ships are nearly always unaware of it. As it approaches the shore, it slows down to about 80 km/hr (50 mph) and gains height. At this point its length is about 20 km, or about 12.5 miles.

Answer 5

Regular ocean waves are caused by wind and are surface disturbances of the water. Tidal waves are caused by earthquakes and involve all the water from the surface to the bottom of the ocean. Tidals waves become tremendously larger when they reach the shore, as the upward slope of the land focuses the wave.