NATURAL DISASTERS
...nd terrifying sights in nature. In fact, their untamed destructive firepower has shaped and influenced many ancient cultures from Pompeii, to Japan. Tidal Waves - Tsunamis Big waves Following the world's biggest recorded earthquake (measuring 9.5 on the Richter Scale) off the coast of Chile in 1960, a series of waves created havoc around the Pacific Rim. It caused 56 deaths in Hawaii, 32 deaths in the Philippines, and 138 deaths in Japan - 10,000 miles (16,000km) away. Tsunamis A tsunami (pronounced tsoo-nah-mee) is a chain of fast moving waves caused by sudden trauma in the ocean. They can be generated by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or even the impact of meteorites. Tsunami are also incorrectly known as tidal waves, but unlike tidal waves they are not caused by changes in the tides. They are most common around the edge of the Pacific, where more than half of the world's volcanoes are found. These seismic surges can assault coastlines, often with little or no warning. Rocks weighing as much as 20 metric tonnes have been plucked from sea walls and carried 180m inland. Tornadoes With the amount of media coverage dedicated to American storm-chasers, you'd think the US had the monopoly on these twisters. It doesn't. It might come as a sho...