Minamisanriku

In a nation synonymous with the apocalyptic scenes in Hiroshima and Nagasaki the radioactive crisis at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant could become a defining moment for the nuclear industry.

Not all earthquakes produce tsunamis. And the power of a seismic wave as it hits land depends on a whole range of factors. Channel 4 News looks at why tsunamis can be so devastating.

We can plan to lessen the impact of events like the earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan, but their effect depends on a range of circumstances, explains seismologist Dr Wayne Richardson.