Tsunami vs Hurricane: 8 Key Differences

Both hurricanes and tsunamis are water-based natural disasters, but they are not the same. Other than being related to water and causing a lot of destruction, the two don’t have much in common. Today, let’s take a look at these two natural disasters, a tsunami and a hurricane, and see what makes them different. Let’s get started.

Comparing a Tsunami and a Hurricane

Both hurricanes and tsunamis are natural hazards that can cause significant destruction, but their causes, characteristics and effects are different. Hurricanes are tropical storms that form over warm ocean waters and can cause strong winds, heavy rains, and flooding.

They are most common in the Atlantic and Pacific and can be predicted days in advance, giving people time to prepare and evacuate. Hurricanes can also be seen on satellite images and can last for days. Once on land, it can wander on land until it runs out of energy from the water, causing much more damage than a tsunami would do to the area affected by the storm.

Tsunamis, by contrast, are a series of ocean waves caused by underwater disturbances such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. They are more common in the Pacific and often move very fast without warning. When tsunamis reach land, they can create huge waves that suddenly overwhelm densely populated areas. Tsunamis can occur suddenly and, especially in the case of large tsunamis, can scare and kill many people.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Cause:

Hurricanes are caused by a combination of warm waters, humidity, and wind, and occur most often in waters near the equator. Hurricanes typically form in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the warmer months when sea surface temperatures are at their highest.

A low pressure system forms when warm, moist air rises above sea level. This area of ​​low pressure draws in more warm, moist air, rises, cools, and forms clouds. As the cloud continues to grow and swirl, it creates winds of increasing energy and speed until it is classified as a hurricane.

A tsunami is a wave of energy that travels through water and is usually caused by the release of energy in water by phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and crustal activity. When these phenomena occur, waves form and spread until they reach the coast and can cause extensive damage.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Speed:

Hurricanes have relatively slow speeds of 20 to 30 miles per hour, while tsunamis can reach speeds of 500 miles per hour. A hurricane moves like a storm, but a tsunami is a wave of energy.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Size:

Hurricanes can range in diameter from hundreds to thousands of miles, but the area affected by tsunamis is typically much smaller, usually less than 1 to 2 miles in diameter.

Regional Impact of Tsunami vs Hurricane:

A hurricane is a storm that causes heavy rain and flooding, and a tsunami is a series of ocean waves that can cause severe flooding. Like a tornado, hurricane winds can blow things away and cause serious damage. Tsunamis cause damage through the action of water and the accompanying flooding

Waves

During hurricanes, waves are mainly caused by the wind and usually do not reach heights above 30 feet, while during tsunamis, waves can exceed 100 feet, depending on the energy source that provoked the waves.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Warning time

Hurricanes can be predicted days in advance, giving people time to prepare and evacuate, but tsunami warnings may only be issued minutes before arrival. When a hurricane is sighted, it is often tracked and a model showing its path is monitored.

An evacuation advisory is issued when a landing is expected. Tsunamis are more random, with more frequent evacuation announcements, but much shorter times, sometimes minutes.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Occurrence

Hurricanes are most common in the Atlantic and Pacific, while tsunamis are more common in the Pacific. Hurricanes can form almost anywhere there is warm water and the right conditions, making them seasonal rather than regional events. In the Pacific, tsunamis occur more frequently due to increased tectonic activity of the plates in this region.

Tsunami vs Hurricane Duration

A hurricane can last for days, but a tsunami only lasts a few hours as the waves hit and then the flooding subsides. Hurricanes have a longer lifespan on water, but a shorter lifespan on land.