seismic sea wave
seismic sea wave — idiom
1. A very large ocean wave triggered by an earthquake beneath the seafloor, often c
A very large ocean wave triggered by an earthquake beneath the seafloor, often causing widespread destruction when it reaches land; the technical term for a tsunami.
The term seismic sea wave is still used in some scientific journals to describe tsunami events.
formal register: used in scientific writing
After the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, geologists explained that a seismic sea wave had crossed the entire ocean basin.
Coastal warning systems now detect a seismic sea wave within minutes of an underwater earthquake.
Dr. Elena Vargas published a paper on seismic sea wave propagation patterns across the Pacific Ocean.
The old newspaper article used the phrase seismic sea wave, while modern reports simply say tsunami.
Residents near the coast were taught to recognise the signs of an approaching seismic sea wave.
- tsunami
The modern, common term; seismic sea wave is the older technical equivalent.
- tidal wave
Often used interchangeably in informal speech, but technically incorrect — tidal waves are caused by tides, not earthquakes.
用法筆記
This is an older, formal term that has been largely replaced by tsunami in general use. Tsunami remains the standard word in news reporting and everyday speech.