A tsunami is a sea wave or series of waves produced by large disturbances of the sea floor that are of relatively short duration. Such disturbances cause the water column to move vertically and the resulting wave energy to spread outwards across the ocean surface at high speed. Although tsunami occurrences in Canada are rare, they do occur and can cause major damage and loss of life. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, there has been one tsunami reported about every fifteen to twenty years in Canada. This map shows the location of the major tsunami events in Canada including earthquake and landslide events that triggered tsunamis.