Scientists Say: Weather bomb

This is what happens when a huge storm sends a wave of pressure through the ocean floor

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Huge cyclones can cause waves of pressure to hit the ocean floor. This effect is called a weather bomb.

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Weather bomb (noun, “Wh-eh-ther bom”)

This effect can occur when a very strong storm, such as a hurricane, whips up over the ocean. The huge waves stirred up by the storm can collide. The crash creates a wave of pressure, which can be so strong it sends a thump down to the sea floor. Those tremors then travel through the ground deep into the planet, like weather-made earthquakes.

In a sentence

By keeping track of weather bombs, scientists hope to learn more about the inner workings of the Earth.

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Bethany Brookshire was a longtime staff writer at Science News Explores and is the author of the book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains. She has a Ph.D. in physiology and pharmacology and likes to write about neuroscience, biology, climate and more. She thinks Porgs are an invasive species.