The aftershocks that follow a major earthquake are always frightening to those who experienced the major quake, and can also be destructive, depending on the aftershock magnitude.  Where do aftershocks come from and why are some stronger than others?
            Aftershocks occur in the same rupture zone area and at the same depth as the [...]

                The deadliest tsunami in recorded history began with a massive fault line rupture on the seafloor of the Indian Ocean at 6:58:53 a.m. local time on December 26, 2004.  The sudden fault line collapse triggered a 9.2 magnitude earthquake and a powerful tsunami that reached 100 ft. in height.  Before the day was over, [...]

Can a tsunami strike the coast of New Jersey, North Carolina, or Florida?  The answer is yes, a tsunami hitting the Atlantic Coast is possible, but much less likely than one striking Alaska, Hawaii, or the Pacific Northwest.  When it comes to the kinds of natural events that start tsunamis — undersea earthquakes, submarine landslides, [...]

A hurricane-driven storm surge can be as destructive and deadly as a major tsunami started by an undersea earthquake or exploding volcano.  In fact, tropical cyclones — called hurricanes in the Atlantic, typhoons in the eastern Pacific, and cyclones in Australia, Bangladesh, and India — have done far more damage in the past 100 years [...]