Meteotsunami

Meteotsunami is a tsunami-like sea wave generated by atmospheric conditions rather than by earthquakes or volcanic activity. It results from rapid air-pressure changes and/or strong, persistent winds that transfer energy to the ocean surface, creating atmospheric gravity waves that couple with the water column and propagate toward shore.

The most common mechanism is resonance between the speed of a moving pressure disturbance and the natural wave speed of a coastal basin, a process known as Proudman resonance. The resulting water oscillations depend on the magnitude and rate of the pressure change, the duration and direction of the wind, and the geometry and depth (bathymetry) of the sea basin. Enclosed or semi-enclosed basins with particular natural periods are especially prone to amplification.

Meteotsunamis have been observed in large lakes and in coastal seas, including the Adriatic, Aegean, Black Sea, Baltic, and parts of the Mediterranean, as well as the Great Lakes in North America. They can produce waves reaching substantial heights and cause flooding, coastal damage, and hazards to ships and shore facilities. Because they are driven by weather systems rather than seabed displacement, their occurrence can be harder to predict in real time, though forecasts rely on atmospheric pressure data, wind fields, and hydrodynamic modeling.

Detection and warning involve coastal tide gauges, barometers, and weather observations, sometimes integrated into regional marine warning systems. While meteotsunamis are less common than seismic tsunamis, they pose localized risk in susceptible basins and require awareness in vulnerable coastal communities.