Tsunamis
Tsunamis are waves in the sea or a lake that are created by a disturbance in the water – like the ripples created when you throw a stone into a pond. Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes under the sea, but they can also be caused by volcanic eruptions, underwater landslides, landslides into the sea or a lake.
Explaining tsunamis
A tsunami is a series of waves that move through the ocean (or a lake) caused by a sudden movement of the sea floor or by something falling into the ocean.
Pegasus Bay, Banks Peninsula and South Canterbury
The biggest tsunami threat for Pegasus Bay, Banks Peninsula and South Canterbury is a distant source tsunami from across the Pacific Ocean.
Tsunami information for Kaikōura
The Kaikōura coast is different - the biggest threat is from tsunamis generated close to the coast that could reach shore in less than one hour.
Mackenzie Basin lake tsunamis
Tsunamis only happen in the ocean, right? Actually, tsunamis can happen on lakes too.
- See Canterbury’s tsunami evacuation zones
- Go to the GeoNet tsunami gauges
- Go to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
- Go to the New Zealand Palaeotsunami database