Megatsunami

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/megatsunami

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How tall is Megatsunami?524.6 meters at Lituya Bay, Alaska (1958)
2. What is the distinction from seismic tsunamis?Megatsunamis are characterized by 'splash' dynamics and significantly higher initial wave amplitudes
3. What is the prehistoric impact event?Chicxulub impactor is estimated to have generated global megatsunamis
4. How is a megatsunami different from a normal tsunami?Unlike a regular tsunami that comes from an earthquake moving the sea floor, a megatsunami starts from a sudden splash when a large mass falls into the water, giving it a very high initial wave.
5. What can cause a megatsunami?Megatsunamis can be caused by landslides, volcanic flank collapses, or impacts from meteors or asteroids.

Seismic Tsunami: A large ocean wave generated by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
Flank Collapse: The sudden failure and sliding of a large portion of a volcano's side.
Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction Event: The mass extinction event that occurred approximately 66 million years ago, linked to the Chicxulub impact.