To proceed to know the meaning of the term tidal wave, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from Latin. Exactly it is the result of the sum of two components of said language:
-The noun "mare", which can be translated as "mass of water" or "sea".
-The term "motus", which is synonymous with movement and which derives, in turn, from the Latin verb "movere", which means "to move" or even "to move away".
A tidal wave occurs when sea waters are violently shaken by a tremor at the bottom . This agitation can reach the coastal area and cause flooding .
It is common for this term and tsunami to be used synonymously. The Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), however, makes differences. The RAE defines a tsunami as a huge wave caused by a tidal wave or the eruption of an underwater volcano .
This means that a tidal wave can cause a tsunami. Sometimes, the idea is used to refer specifically to the underwater earthquake that gives rise to the sudden movement of water. In the media and in colloquial language , however, both concepts are usually used in an equivalent way.
The waves of a tsunami are much larger than those produced by the wind. Most tsunamis arise in the Pacific Ocean since the so-called Ring of Fire is located there, a strip with numerous subduction zones (where the edge of one crustal plate slides under another).
In addition to everything indicated, it must be established that the most vulnerable areas to suffer a tsunami are the places that are located in coastal areas that have low altitude.
The most destructive tsunami in history, however, occurred on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean . The underwater earthquake was recorded at a depth of 30 kilometers and caused a series of tsunamis. The floods left some 280,000 dead and several thousand people missing, with Indonesia and Thailand being the most affected countries . The consequences were also felt in other Asian nations (such as Malaysia , Maldives and Sri Lanka ) and even in Africa ( Somalia ).
In the same way, we cannot ignore another series of truly significant tidal waves throughout history such as these:
-In November 1755, an earthquake and a tsunami caused the death of a total of 60,000 people in Lisbon as well as the destruction of a large part of the Portuguese city.
-In August 1868, several tsunamis caused the death of around 25,000 people in South America, specifically in the area of Chile.
-In August 1976, a tsunami on the islands of Mindanao and Sulu left 5,000 people dead.
-In December 2004, a strong tsunami occurred in the Indian Ocean. The result was the death of some 230,000 people from various countries.