4. Tsunamis

4.1 Description and origin

Seismic sea waves, once known as "tidal waves" and now universally referred to by the Japanese name "tsunamis" (death waves), are among the most striking physical phenomena of hydraulic origin. All peoples living near the sea have stories, traditions and legends relating to such phenomena.

Ancient authors were deeply impressed by the forces involved in producing seismic sea waves. The earliest, Thucydides, remarkably declared in the 5th century BC that these phenomena were due to earthquakes. Aristotle and Strabo were the last to...