According to a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, ‘the lateral motion and energy generated on slip faults can produce significant tsunamis by themselves’.

For such a natural phenomenon to occur, the researchers found that a so-called intersonic earthquake is necessary.

‘This results in three phases that come together: the initial motion and shock waves, the displacement of water during the earthquake, and the movement of the resulting tsunami wave,’ the article stressed.

‘Each of these stages will have a different effect depending on the unique geography of the surrounding terrain,’ the study noted.

The link between slip faults and tsunamis has been studied before, but only in specific geographic locations.

Now several unnamed locations around the globe have been identified as potentially vulnerable, taking into account the new details.

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