Russia’s magnitude 8.8 earthquake spawned serious tsunami warnings, but waves have been moderate so far. Here’s the geological reason why

A powerful earthquake off Russia’s coast triggered tsunami waves that reached across the Pacific, prompting evacuations as far as Chile and Peru. Experts explain how sudden shifts in the ocean can send waves traveling more than 500 mph thousands of miles away.

A powerful earthquake struck Wednesday off Russia’s Far East coast, flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami, cutting power to a few areas and sending some panicked residents fleeing buildings but causing only a few injuries.