Science Storms: Tsunami

It's constantly transmitting

A wave is energy being moved from place to place through a medium such as air or water. Discover the power and motion of waves and their fundamental properties. You can design your own wave by choosing variables like wavelength and amplitude, and then launch it down the length of a 30-foot wave tank. Generate waves in round ripple tanks to watch them interact with objects or other waves. Stand below a 20-foot-tall rope that oscillates as you vary the amplitude and frequency to produce a striking, interactive light sculpture, revealing the art within waves.

Tsunami Wave Tank

Tsunami waves carry a tremendous amount of energy across long distances. Scientists try to explain and predict tsunamis by studying wave behavior — and one of their tools is the wave tank. In the exhibit’s 30-foot wave tank, unleash your own custom wave (tsunami or regular ocean) and investigate its impact on different coastal environments. Use a high-speed camera to record and play back the wave activity to learn about its energy and how it moves differently across different coastlines.

Ripple Tanks

See in vivid detail how waves interact with objects and other waves. With the turn of a dial, trigger a "tapper" that creates controlled and beautiful patterns on the surface of three large ripple tanks. Suspended from the ceiling, the tanks are illuminated from above to cast huge rippling shadows on the floor below. Each tank is designed to display a different wave phenomenon: diffraction, interference, or reflection and diffusion.

String Waves

All waves can be described by their amplitude, frequency, and wavelength. This interactive waveform light sculpture, created by artist Paul Friedlander, demonstrates these fundamental wave characteristics in a visually captivating form. A 20-foot-tall oscillating rope, illuminated with colored light, creates various traveling waves when you adjust its vibration frequency. Light patterns projected on the moving rope accentuate the regular and chaotic motion, creating a work of art — a dynamic sculpture of a wave.