the term tsunami has its origins in the Japanese language; an English equivalent is "seismic sea waves." Tsunamis are often incorrectly interchanged with the term" tidal waves," which refer to high waves of water caused by changes in the flow and surge of the ocean. Tsunamis, on the other hand, can be caused by a few different means: 1) the down drop or upthurst of the Earths crust which results in an earthquake; 2) a large-scale undersea landslide; 3) a submarine volcanic eruption of a certain degree; or potentially, 4) a large meteor impact at sea. The vast majority of tsunamis result from earthquakes.
