SULAWESI, INDONESIA — Scientists have a theory about what might have caused the tsunami that followed the earthquake in Indonesia last week to be so destructive.<br /><br />The 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the center of the island of Sulawesi, triggering 6-meter-tall tsunami waves that crashed in Palu, reports the BBC.<br /><br />The earthquake itself was a strike-slip quake, which means the ground breaks horizontally instead of vertically.<br /><br />Scientists say strike-slip quakes often cause tsunamis that are less than 1 meter tall.<br /><br />Scientists suspect the Indonesia earthquake may have triggered an underwater landslide that destabilized sediment underwater, causing it to break free and tumble.<br /><br />Palu's bay's elongated shape also may have also worked to amplify the effect of the tsunami.<br /><br />The earthquake and the tsunami have already caused substantial damage in Indonesia, with more than 1,000 people confirmed dead and many more trapped under collapsed infrastructure in Sulawesi.
