According to the website of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the Mediterranean region is a densely populated area with zones prone to seismic and volcanic activity, so the risk of small tsunamis in the northeast Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas, such as the Mediterranean, must be taken into account.
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO has stated with total conviction, with a 100% probability, that a tsunami over one metre high will hit the Mediterranean coast within the next 30 years.
Pascal Roudil, coordinator of the French Tsunami Warning Centre, explains: "What's extremely dangerous is not only the height of the tsunamis, but also the water flows and currents, as well as flooding, which can cause damage on beaches, in harbours and in the streets."
In deep water, tsunamis can travel at jet plane speeds, over 800km/h, and cross entire oceans in less than a day. When they reach the shallow waters near land, the waves slow down.
(MH with AnVa - Source: UNESCO - Photo: © Unsplash)
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