Merging Tsunamis Caused Destroy in Japan

Scientists from NASA and researchers from Ohio State University were analyzing Pacific Ocean tsunamis generated on March 2011 that caused a massive distraction in Japan. Tsunamis were caused by 9.0 earthquake in the Tohoku-Oki region centered off northeastern Japan that killed 15,840 people and set off a nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. NASA and European radars were screening the Pacific Ocean from the satellite on the day of Japanese earthquake and have captured at least two fronts of tsunami. Both fronts then joined into single tsunami forming a double-high wave far in the sea. The merged giant wave was so powerful that it was not losing its strength even far away from the tsunami origin. 

The undersea infrastructure, e.g. ridges and mountains, were assisting in making the wave even more powerful by moving separate waves together from the tsunami origin area. The discovery made by NASA explains how tsunamis are crossing oceans and causing massive distraction, while leaving other undistracted areas nearby. This information raises a hope that considering the research made in this field, tsunami forecasts will be improved. Research scientist Y. Tony Song of NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena finds that such kind of merged tsunamis may appear one in 10 million chances. Song expresses an opinion that it was a merged Chilean tsunami that killed about 200 in 1960 in Japan and Hawaii.

source: www.nasa.gov