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Seafloor Break Lifts the Sea

Deep under the ocean, a fault in the rocky floor can slip in an instant. One block of rock jerks upward, shoving a huge amount of water up and sending waves racing outward across the surface.

In the picture

  1. Crack in the seabed rock where the two blocks meet
  2. Rock block thrust upward above the other
  3. Mound of water pushed up above the raised rock
  4. Wave crests spreading outward across the surface

Examples

  • Dropping a big stone into a pond makes rings of ripples spread to the shore.
  • Jumping into a swimming pool pushes water outward in waves that slap the walls.

Quiz: Seafloor Break Lifts the Sea (Age 11)

  1. What starts a tsunami?

    • The Moon pulling on the ocean
    • The seafloor moving and lifting the water above it
    • Strong winds blowing across the surface
  2. What happens to tsunami waves as they move from the open ocean toward the shore?

    • They become taller near the shore
    • They become shorter and disappear before the shore
    • They stay the same height the whole way
  3. In a tsunami caused by an undersea earthquake, what pushes the water upward?

    • A block of seafloor rock jerking upward
    • The Moon’s gravity pulling the water
    • Strong winds pushing the water

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.

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Science, Age 11