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meteotsunamis

Photo of a gas station with dark storm clouds looming above.
Posted inEditors' Vox

Tsunamis from the Sky

by Ivica Vilibić, Petra Zemunik Selak and Jadranka Šepić 3 February 20263 February 2026

Not all tsunamis come from the seafloor, some are triggered by the atmosphere, driven by fast-moving storms and pressure waves, and can strike coasts with little warning.

A blue and white sign depicting large waves approaching a shoreline as a stick figure person runs away is affixed to fencing near the shoreline. Waves crash against rocks in the background.
Posted inOpinions

When Should a Tsunami Not Be Called a Tsunami?

by Diana J. M. Greenslade and Matthew C. Wheeler 8 December 202526 February 2026

It’s time to redefine the term so it more clearly conveys meaningful risks to coastal communities and prompts them to act when needed.

Muon detectors in a tunnel under Tokyo Bay
Posted inNews

Muography Array Under Tokyo Bay Spots Meteotsunami Waves

Tim Hornyak, Science Writer by Tim Hornyak 20 May 20227 March 2023

A new study shows how muons can be used to study tide and wave phenomena, helping secure coastal communities.

Meteotsunami in Ludington, Mich., on 13 April 2018
Posted inNews

Scientists Hope Atmospheric Modeling Can Predict Meteotsunamis

Tim Hornyak, Science Writer by Tim Hornyak 24 May 202117 May 2022

The first extensively documented air pressure–driven meteotsunami on one of the Great Lakes presents an opportunity to use existing weather models to predict when these potentially deadly waves will strike.

Homes built at sea level on Palm Jumeirah island, Dubai
Posted inNews

Meteotsunami Spotted for the First Time in the Persian Gulf

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 31 July 201917 May 2022

The Persian Gulf, a region with high-end resorts and oil-related infrastructure dotting its shorelines, was hit in 2017 by weather-induced waves that rolled roughly a kilometer inland.

Waves crash ashore during a storm
Posted inNews

Weather-Induced Tsunami Waves Regularly Roll Up on U.S. Shores

Katherine Kornei, Science Writer by Katherine Kornei 3 April 201917 May 2022

Roughly 25 meteotsunamis strike coastlines between Maine and Puerto Rico each year, tide gauge data reveal.

Over a dark blue-green square appear the words Special Report: The State of the Science 1 Year On.

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27 February 202626 February 2026
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