1) If one tectonic plate is dragged beneath another, stress on the boundary causes the edges of the plates to flex and deform.
|
2) The flexing of the plates displaces the entire column of water vertically.
|
3) Quickly the water column splits into two with one travelling out to sea and the other towards the coast.
|
4) The tsunami comes ashore and can surge far inland. Often secondary waves are far more powerful than the initial one.
|