Decipher the mysterious tsunami spreading around the world

An 8.2-magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami that spread around the world last year, surprising scientists.

Recently, scientists from the California Institute of Technology (USA) announced that they had discovered the origin of the tsunami that spread around the world, which occurred in August last year after an 8.2-magnitude earthquake near the archipelago. South Sandwich Island in the Atlantic Ocean.

Scientists warn of potential risks from complex earthquakes.

Scientists could not help but be surprised because this tsunami was caused by an earthquake with an epicenter at a depth of 47km - a depth that is unlikely to cause a tsunami. The earthquake was initially recorded at 7.5 magnitude, but was later adjusted to 8.2 magnitude.

Research by scientists shows that an earthquake is actually a collection of a series of consecutive earthquakes within a few minutes. One of those quakes had a magnitude of 8.2 and the epicenter was just 15km above the ground.

Although the quake was very intense, tracking systems were barely able to detect it because it was buried in seismic waves caused by other earthquakes.

The researchers believe that this "silent" earthquake triggered tsunamis that spread around the world, extending into the North Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and reaching coastlines 10,000 miles away. kilometer.

Although the tsunami did not cause major damage, the researchers warned that complex earthquakes of this type pose a great risk because they are difficult to detect. "If we don't use the right data, we can't know what's hidden inside," warns Zhe Jia, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology.