Weather Ask the Meteorologist: How do tsunamis form? Following the major 8.8M earthquake in Russia, tsunami alerts were issued for Hawaii, Alaska and the Continental U.S. West Coast Wednesday.

Tsunamis form when a sudden event, like an undersea earthquake, displaces a large volume of water. Their size can vary greatly depending on factors.

What causes a tsunami, and how could a powerful earthquake like the one off Russia's coast trigger massive waves?

Tsunamis are not related to tidal waves. A tsunami is a series of powerful, long ocean waves that form when energy expands in all directions after in this case, the earthquake occurred.

New animation shows the moment a massive earthquake struck Russia and triggered multiple tsunami alerts across the world. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the country's far eastern Kamchatka ...

Tsunamis form when a sudden event, like an undersea earthquake, displaces a large volume of water. Their size can vary greatly depending on factors.