A 'seiche' wave can outpace a tsunami and both can be triggered by meteorites and earthquakes

[Judi Lynn]

The Conversation By Craig O'Neill
Posted 32 minutes ago



PHOTO: Waves can be generated in lakes and other bodies of water when seismic energy travels through land. (News Video)


A catastrophic event occurred on Earth 66 million years ago. A huge meteorite struck our planet in what is now Mexico, triggering mass extinctions of the dinosaurs and most other living creatures.

A new paper shows the first recorded victims of this impact were fish and other marine animals, stranded by a wave that left them high and dry in an ancient river in North Dakota, at a site called Tanis.

For scientists unpacking the evidence around the event, a full picture of the cataclysm has involved looking into the details of planetary surface physics during giant impacts.

But beyond the first layer of fascinating results — little glass impact beads stuck in the gills of fish, for example — one really interesting aspect of this work is around how water behaves when it's exposed to extreme forces.

More:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-04/a-seiche-wave-can-outpace-a-tsunami-meteorite-earthquake/10970306

[tblue37]

1. K&R and thanks. nt