Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
What tidal wave?
Both terms have been used to describe the catastrophe that struck during the weekend. Are they interchangeable?
Apparently "tidal wave" has been on the wane since 1963, when "tsunami" was adopted for general use by an international scientific conference.
Here are the distinctions, as noted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey. First, from NOAA: "tsunami (pronounced 'soo-nah-mee') is a series of waves of extremely long wave length and long period generated in a body of water by an impulsive disturbance that vertically displaces the water. ... Tsunami is a Japanese word represented by two characters: 'tsu' and 'nami.' The character 'tsu' means harbor, and the character 'nami' means wave. In the past, tsunamis were often referred to as 'tidal waves.' The term 'tidal wave' is a misnomer. Tides are the result of gravitational influences of the moon, sun, and planets. Tsunamis are not caused by the tides and are unrelated to the tides; although a tsunami striking a coastal area is influenced by the tide level at the time of impact."
Nevertheless, elsewhere on its Web site NOAA terms a tidal wave "a huge destructive wave," and "an unusually high water level along shore. Refers to a storm surge or Tsunami."
One contributor to NOAA's Web site takes note of tidal wave's customary usage: "The terms 'tsunami' and 'tidal wave' mean the same thing. ... 'Tidal wave' is most often seen in reproductions of old news reports and older text books."
The U.S. Geological Survey also prefers "tsunami," but says they are "sometimes referred to as 'tidal waves' and 'seismic sea waves.' The term 'tidal wave' is a misnomer.
The impact of a tsunami upon a coastline is partially dependent upon the tidal level at the time it strikes, but its generation is unrelated to ocean tides."
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