Tsunamis are massive ocean waves caused by undersea earthquakes, which in turn are caused by the shifting of the earth’s plates making up its crust. They show the helplessness of mankind in the face of nature’s devastating forces. The tsunami that hit several countries along the Indian Ocean in December 2004, killing hundreds of thousands of people—including tourists on holiday as well as simple folk going about their simple, daily routine—was a reminder of the darker side of nature: its impersonal, destructive force that spares no one once it is set in motion. The tsunami reared its savage head again when it devastated northeast Japan in March 2011, wiping out towns, killing hundreds, and damaging a potentially dangerous nuclear reactor.
