Tsunamis often evoke images of towering waves crashing onto beaches and swallowing entire coastlines. But beyond the common perception, there’s a pressing and lesser-discussed question: how far can tsunamis travel on land once they make landfall? Rather than just listing distances, this post takes a scientific yet human-centered approach by exploring how a tsunami's reach depends on topography, energy, and human preparedness —not just sheer wave height. đź“Ź The Science of Tsunami Reach: Why It’s Not Just About Wave Height To understand how far tsunamis travel inland , we must first understand the mechanics of a tsunami’s energy . A tsunami isn’t just a wave; it’s a series of long-wavelength, high-energy sea movements generated primarily by undersea earthquakes, volcanic eruptions , or landslides . According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , tsunamis can have wavelengths exceeding 100 kilometers in the deep ocean. When that energy hits the shallow...