A tsunami, which is Japanese for "harbor wave," is a massive ocean wave typically caused by an underwater earthquake out in the ocean. It can cause widespread death and destruction, and even erase entire islands from the surface of the globe. The tsunami that struck South Asia on December 26, 2004, caused the deaths of many thousands. | A tsunami, which is Japanese for "harbor wave," is a massive ocean wave typically caused by an underwater earthquake out in the ocean. It can cause widespread death and destruction, and even erase entire islands from the surface of the globe. The tsunami that struck South Asia on December 26, 2004, caused the deaths of many thousands. |