At Smithsonian Ocean, we have lesson plans, activities, and resources to help you engage your students in the wonders of our oceans. see wave lesson plans see storm lesson plans Waves, Storms & Tsunamis Articles

Some of the biggest waves are generated by storms like hurricanes. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan created waves that averaged around 60 feet (18 meters) high and the largest were almost 100 feet (30.5 meters) high. In 2019, hurricane Dorian also created a wave over 100 feet high in the northern Atlantic.

Hurricane-level storms that occur in the northern Atlantic Ocean and northeast Pacific Ocean are called hurricanes, while those in the Northwest Pacific are called typhoons. Hurricanes may hit the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and/or the east coast of the United States—and also can occur in the Northeast Pacific Ocean.

The ocean is constantly in motion, and it's not just the waves that crash ashore. Wind moves the water at the surface and deep underwater currents, driven by temperature and salinity, move across ocean basins.

Estuaries serve as important buffers against storm damage. When coastal waters rise during a storm, also called storm surge, a marsh estuary can easily absorb the extra water with minimal damage to the environment.

https://ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/waves-storms-tsunamis/storm-waves-strike Storm Waves Strike

https://ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/waves-storms-tsunamis/eye-storm Eye of the Storm

When a NASA satellite took this image on August 23, 2011 the storm was 410 miles in diameter, with clouds covering eastern Cuba. Irene is the first Atlantic hurricane of 2011. Read about the science of predicting hurricanes in a blog post by University of Rhode Island oceanographer Isaac Ginis.

While there are a few animals, such as sharks and dolphins, that can sense the change in air pressure as a hurricane approaches and swim away, many animals cannot or don’t know to leave. Stationary animals such as coral polyps are forced to take the full force of the hurricane.

If wind conditions are right, the storm becomes a hurricane. This heat energy is the fuel for the storm. And the warmer the water, the more moisture is in the air. And that could mean bigger and stronger hurricanes. Satellite data shows the heat and energy transfer in action. Notice how this hurricane leaves a trail of cooler water behind.