This image shows features of the ocean floor depth (or bathymetry) from NOAA’s ETOPO-1 dataset. It shows the entire Western Pacific basin. Notice how abruptly the Japanese islands rise out of the ocean. Other coastal Asian areas have much more gradual slopes. This feature enhances the power of the tsunami waves. As these waves approaches the coast, the shallowing ocean floor pushes the water mass upwards. The quicker the ocean floor transitions from deep to shallow, the greater potential for a higher wave heightEnsino Médio::GeografiaEducação Superior::Ciências Exatas e da Terra::Oceanografia