The most terrible tsunamis that shook the world. The most destructive tsunamis in history Rescued underwater
Earthquakes are quite destructive and terrible on their own, but their effects are only amplified by the huge tsunami waves that can follow a massive seismic disturbance on the ocean floor. Often, coastal residents have only minutes to escape to higher ground, and any delay can cause colossal casualties. In this collection you will learn about the most powerful and destructive tsunamis in history. Over the past 50 years, our ability to study and predict tsunamis has reached new heights, but they have still not been sufficient to prevent widespread destruction.
10. Earthquake in Alaska and subsequent Tsunami, 1964.
March 27, 1964 was Good Friday, but the Christian day of worship was interrupted by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake - the strongest ever recorded in North American history. Subsequent tsunamis wiped out the western North American coastline (also hitting Hawaii and Japan), killing 121 people. Waves of up to 30 meters were recorded and a 10 meter tsunami wiped out the tiny Alaskan village of Chenega.
9. Samoa earthquake and tsunami, 2009.
In 2009, the Samoan Islands experienced a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at 7:00 am on September 29th. Tsunamis up to 15 meters high followed, traveling miles inland, engulfing villages and causing widespread destruction. 189 people died, many of them children, but further loss of life was spared because the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center gave people time to evacuate to higher ground.
8. 1993, Hokkaido earthquake and tsunami.
On July 12th, 1993, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred 80 miles off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. Japanese authorities responded quickly, issuing a tsunami warning, but the small island of Okushiri was beyond the relief zone. Within minutes of the earthquake, the island was covered by giant waves - some of which reached 30 meters in height. 197 of the 250 tsunami victims were residents of Okushiri. Although some were saved by memories of the 1983 tsunami that hit the island 10 years earlier, forcing a rapid evacuation.
7. 1979, Tumaco earthquake and tsunami.
At 8:00 am on December 12th, 1979, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake began near Colombia and the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The tsunami that followed destroyed six fishing villages and much of the city of Tumaco, as well as several other Colombian coastal towns. 259 people died, while 798 were injured and 95 were missing.
6. 2006, earthquake and tsunami in Java.
On July 17th, 2006, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook the seabed near Java. A 7 meter high tsunami slammed into the Indonesian coast, including 100 miles of coastline in Java, which was fortunately spared by the 2004 tsunami. The waves penetrated more than a mile inland, leveling communities and the seaside resort of Pangandaran. At least 668 people died, 65 died, and more than 9,000 required medical attention.
5. 1998, Papua New Guinea earthquake and tsunami.
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck the northern coast of Papua New Guinea on July 17, 1998, without itself causing a large tsunami. However, the earthquake caused a large underwater landslide, which in turn produced waves 15 meters high. When the tsunami hit the coast, it caused at least 2,183 deaths, 500 missing people, and made approximately 10,000 residents homeless. Numerous villages were heavily damaged, while others, such as Arop and Varapu, were completely destroyed. The only positive thing was that it gave scientists valuable insight into the threat of underwater landslides and the unexpected tsunamis they can cause, which could save lives in the future.
4. 1976 Moro Bay earthquake and tsunami.
In the early morning of August 16th, 1976, the small island of Mindanao in the Philippines was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 7.9. The earthquake caused a huge tsunami that crashed into 433 miles of coastline, where residents were unaware of the danger and did not have time to escape to higher ground. Overall, 5,000 people were killed and another 2,200 were missing, 9,500 were injured and more than 90,000 residents were left homeless. Cities and regions throughout the Northern Celebes Sea region of the Philippines were wiped out by the tsunami, which is considered among the worst natural disasters in the country's history.
3. 1960, Valdivia earthquake and tsunami.
In 1960, the world experienced the strongest earthquake since such events began to be tracked. On May 22nd, the Great Chile Earthquake of 9.5 magnitude began off the south coast of central Chile, causing a volcanic eruption and a devastating tsunami. Waves reached 25 meters high in some areas, while a tsunami also swept across the Pacific Ocean, hitting Hawaii about 15 hours after the quake and killing 61 people. Seven hours later, waves hit the coast of Japan, causing 142 deaths. A total of 6,000 died.
2. 2011 Tohuku earthquake and tsunami.
While all tsunamis are dangerous, the 2011 Tohuku Tsunami that hit Japan has some of the worst consequences. On March 11th, waves of 11 meters were recorded after the 9.0 earthquake, although some reports mention terrifying heights of up to 40 meters with waves traveling 6 miles inland, as well as a colossal 30 meter wave that crashed into the coastal town of Ofunato. Approximately 125,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed, and transport infrastructure suffered heavy damage. With approximately 25,000 people killed, the tsunami also damaged the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, causing an International Nuclear Disaster. The full consequences of this nuclear disaster are still unclear, but radiation was detected 200 miles from the plant.
Here are a few videos that capture the destructive power of the elements:
1. 2004, Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
The world was stunned by the deadly tsunami that hit countries surrounding the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. The tsunami was the deadliest ever, with more than 230,000 casualties, affecting people in 14 countries, with the most big amount victims in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. The powerful undersea earthquake had a magnitude of up to 9.3, and the deadly waves it caused reached 30 meters in height. Massive tsunamis inundated some coastlines within 15 minutes and some as much as 7 hours after the initial earthquake. Despite having time to prepare for the impact of waves in some places, the lack of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean meant that most coastal areas were caught by surprise. However, some places were saved thanks to local superstitions and even the knowledge of children who learned about the tsunami at school. With photos
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About a year ago, in April 2015, an earthquake occurred in Nepal, causing thousands of deaths and enormous destruction, including the most valuable historical monuments. This is one of the most powerful earthquakes in history. A cataclysm of this magnitude is already the seventh in a row in the 21st century. Let's remember each of them:
Bam, 2003
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 occurred on December 26, 2003 in the ancient city of Bam in Iran. On that terrible day, 35 thousand people lost their lives, and another 22 thousand were injured. And this despite the fact that the city’s population is only 200 thousand inhabitants.
Indian Ocean, 2004
Exactly one year after the Iranian tragedy, an underwater earthquake occurred in the Indian Ocean, causing the deadliest tsunami in modern history. The magnitude of the tremors was 9.1–9.3 points. The tsunami hit several countries, among which those closest to the epicenter were Thailand, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, etc. Its destructive power was so great that even in Port Elizabeth (South Africa), 6,900 kilometers away from the epicenter, a huge number of residents died. The total number of deaths during the disaster reached 225-300 thousand.
Sichuan, 2008
The Sichuan earthquake occurred on May 12, 2008. According to the China Seismological Bureau, the magnitude of the earthquake was 8 Mw. The epicenter of the cataclysm was the seismically active Longmenshan fault, located 75 km from the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. According to official sources, as of August 4, 2008, the death toll was about 70 thousand people, another 18 thousand were missing.
Haiti, 2010
The date of the tragedy was January 12, 2010. Previously, such a destructive earthquake was recorded on the island in 1751. The number of deaths during the tragedy 6 years ago exceeded 200 thousand people, and material damage amounted to 5.6 billion euros.
Chile, 2010
In the same year, on February 27, one of the strongest earthquakes in the last half century occurred in Chile. Earth vibrations of magnitude 8.8 caused enormous destruction, killing about a thousand people.
Japan, 2011
The earthquake off the coast of the Japanese island of Honshu, which occurred on March 11, 2011, went down in history as the Great East Japan Earthquake. The strongest earthquake in the history of the country caused an equally terrible tsunami, the height of the waves reaching 40 meters. One of the consequences of the disaster was the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The disaster destroyed three nuclear reactor, which caused a strong radioactive release into the atmosphere. The death toll exceeded 15 thousand people, about 3 thousand are missing.
Nepal, 2015
On April 25 and 26, 2015, powerful tremors began in Nepal, with a magnitude ranging from 4.2–7.8 Mw. According to the country's government, 4,000 people have been confirmed dead and damage is estimated at $5 billion. In addition, the earthquake triggered avalanches on Everest, killing more than 80 climbers.
On January 12, 2005, a powerful earthquake occurred on the island of Haiti; the magnitude of the tremors reached 7. More than 222 thousand people became victims of the disaster. On the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, we decided to recall the most destructive earthquakes of the 21st century
Afghanistan. 2002
In March 2002, two powerful earthquakes rocked northern Afghanistan. The magnitude of the tremors exceeded 7. About two thousand people became victims of the disaster, and about 20 thousand more Afghans were left homeless.
The first earthquake in northern Afghanistan after four years of calm was recorded on March 3, 2002 at about 15:00 Moscow time. The magnitude of the tremors was 7.2. Soil vibrations were felt over a wide area - from Tajikistan to India. The epicenter was on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in the Hindu Kush mountains. More than 100 people died then, and dozens more went missing. Representatives of the World Food Program, who were in Kabul at that time, provided assistance to the victims. Helicopters, which were previously used to deliver humanitarian aid, were sent to two of the most affected villages in the north of Samangan province.
22 days later, on March 25, 2002, disaster struck Afghanistan again. Underground points with magnitudes from 6.5 to 7 were recorded in the northeast of the country. The epicenter of the earthquake was 50 kilometers southeast of the city of Kunduz. This time the disaster claimed the lives of about one and a half thousand people, more than four thousand people were injured, and about one and a half thousand buildings were completely destroyed. Baghlan province was the hardest hit. The city of Nahrin was completely destroyed. The forces of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations were involved in the rescue operation. For several more days, tremors were felt in Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, as well as in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and Tajikistan.
Iran. 2003
On December 26, 2003 at 5:26 local time, a deep, destructive earthquake shook the southeast of Iran. The disaster completely destroyed the ancient city of Bam. Several tens of thousands of people became victims of the earthquake.
The epicenter of the tremors, with a magnitude of 6.7 to 5, was recorded in the southeast of Iran, several tens of kilometers from the large city of Bam. The country's authorities in urgently turned to the international community asking for help. More than 60 countries responded to the call, with 44 sending personnel to help deal with the disaster. Russia also took part in the rescue operation.
Already in the first hours after the earthquake, it was clear that the disaster spared few people - the number of victims was in the tens of thousands. According to official figures, 35 thousand people died, but later the Iranian Minister of Health reported 70 thousand victims. In addition, Bam was practically wiped off the face of the earth - up to 90% of the buildings were destroyed, many of which were made of clay. As a result, the Iranian government decided not to restore the ancient city, but to build a new one in its place.
Indonesia. 2004
On December 26, 2004 at 07:58 local time, one of the most destructive earthquakes in modern history occurred in the Indian Ocean. The magnitude of the tremors reached 9.3. Following this, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and 14 other countries were hit by a tsunami. The wave destroyed everything in its path. Up to 300 thousand people became victims of the disaster.
Exactly a year later, to within an hour after the earthquake in Iranian Bam, underground points were felt by residents of Indonesia. The epicenter of the earthquake this time was in the Indian Ocean, north of the Indonesian island of Simeulue, located off the northwestern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake, which became the third strongest earthquake on record, triggered waves up to 30 meters high. They reached the shores within 15 minutes nearest countries, the tsunami reached the most remote corners of the Indian Ocean seven hours later. Many states were not prepared for such a disaster - most coastal zones were taken by surprise. People went to the coast to collect fish that suddenly appeared on land, or to admire an unusual natural phenomenon - this was the last thing they saw.
The disaster killed hundreds of thousands of people. The exact number of deaths has not yet been established - it ranges from 235 thousand people to 300 thousand, tens of thousands are missing, more than a million people were left without homes. Thousands of tourists from different parts of the world who decided to celebrate the Christmas and New Year holidays in the Indian Ocean never returned home.
Pakistan. 2005 year
On October 8, 2005 at 8:50 local time, a powerful earthquake was recorded in Pakistan. The magnitude of the tremors was 7.6. According to official data, more than 74 thousand people were killed, including 17 thousand children, and about three million more Pakistanis were left homeless.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the Pakistani region of Kashmir, 95 kilometers from Islamabad. The source of the tremors lay at a depth of 10 kilometers. The earthquake was felt by residents of several countries. The disaster caused major destruction in northeastern Pakistan, Afghanistan and northern India. Many villages were destroyed to the ground. To date, the earthquake in Kashmir is the worst in South Asia in the last 100 years.
Several states offered assistance in eliminating the consequences of the rampant disaster to Pakistan. International and non-governmental organizations provided assistance in the form of money, food and medical equipment. Cuba provided special support to Pakistan, sending about a thousand doctors to the disaster zone in the first days after the tragedy.
The exact number of earthquake victims is still unknown. According to the authorities, 84 thousand people died in October 2005, but according to unconfirmed information, the disaster claimed the lives of up to 200 thousand people.
China. 2008
On May 12, 2008, at 14:28 Beijing time, an earthquake of magnitude 8 occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. The disaster claimed the lives of about 70 thousand people, and another 18 thousand were missing.
The epicenter of the earthquake was recorded 75 kilometers from the capital of Sichuan province, Chengdu; the source of the tremors lay at a depth of 19 kilometers. The main earthquake was followed by over ten thousand aftershocks. The echoes of the earthquake reached Beijing, which was located one and a half thousand kilometers from the epicenter. Tremors were also felt by residents of India, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia and Russia.
According to official data, more than 69 thousand people became victims of the rampant disaster, 18 thousand are listed as missing, 370 thousand were injured, and five million Chinese were left homeless. The Sichuan earthquake became the second most powerful in the modern history of China, in first place is the Tangshan earthquake, which occurred in 1976 and claimed about 250 thousand lives.
Haiti. 2010
On January 12, 2010 at 16:53 local time, the island nation of Haiti was rocked by a powerful earthquake. The magnitude of the tremors reached 7. The disaster completely destroyed the capital of Port-au-Prince. The death toll exceeded 200 thousand people.
After the first earthquake in Haiti, many aftershocks were recorded, 15 of them with a magnitude greater than 5. The epicenter of the earthquake was 22 kilometers southwest of the capital of the island state, the source lay at a depth of 13 kilometers. Geological services later explained that the Haiti earthquake was the result of the movement of the earth's crust in the contact zone of the Caribbean and North American lithospheric plates.
The authorities of 37 countries, including Russia, sent rescuers, doctors and humanitarian aid to Haiti. However, the international rescue operation was hampered by the fact that the airport could not cope with the large number of arriving aircraft, and there was not enough fuel to refuel them. Media reported that earthquake survivors were dying en masse from acute shortages clean water, food, medicine and medical care.
According to official data, the disaster claimed the lives of more than 222 thousand people, another 311 thousand were injured, and more than 800 people are listed as missing. In Port-au-Prince, the disaster destroyed several thousand residential buildings and almost all hospitals, leaving about three million people homeless.
Japan. 2011
On March 11, 2011 at 14:46 local time, a powerful earthquake occurred off the east coast of Honshu Island in Japan. The magnitude of the tremors reached 9.1. The disaster claimed the lives of 15,870 people, and another 2,846 are listed as missing.
The epicenter of the tremors was located 373 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, the source lay in the Pacific Ocean at a depth of 32 kilometers. The main shock of magnitude 9.0 was followed by a series of aftershocks, more than 400 of them in total. The earthquake caused a tsunami that spread throughout the Pacific Ocean, the wave reaching Russia.
According to official data, the death toll as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in 12 prefectures of Japan is 15,870 people, another 2,846 people are missing, and more than six thousand people were injured. The rampant nature led to an accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The earthquake and tsunami disabled external power supplies and backup diesel generators, which led to the breakdown of all normal and emergency cooling systems, which in turn caused meltdowns of the reactor cores at three power units.
Fukushima 1 was officially closed in December 2013. Work to eliminate the consequences of the accident continues to this day on the territory of the nuclear power plant. Experts estimate that bringing the facility into a stable state may take up to 40 years.
A major earthquake occurred this morning off the east coast of Japan. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude of the earthquake at 14:46 (08:46 Moscow time) at a depth of 24.4 km, 373 km from Tokyo was 8.9. 20 minutes after the first one, new tremors followed in the same area - with a magnitude from 5.5 to 7.1. The death toll is estimated to be about a thousand people.Experts have already called it an earthquake. Tsunami warnings have been issued in the Kuril Islands (here waves can reach 3 m), in three coastal areas of Sakhalin, where evacuation of the population has already begun, and in almost the entire Pacific region - from Alaska to Latin America.
And last month, a powerful earthquake nearly destroyed New Zealand's second-largest city, Christchurch. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 was located in the immediate vicinity of Christchurch, at a depth of four kilometers. Most buildings were seriously damaged, and cracks covered the sidewalks and roads. The earthquake occurred at the height of the workday, when many were at work and schools were in session. At least 65 people became victims of the disaster.
Haiti, 2010
On January 13th, two powerful earthquakes occurred within a few minutes several miles off the coast of Haiti, their magnitudes being 7 and 5.9 respectively. In the capital of the republic, Port-au-Prince, several buildings collapsed as a result of two tremors. More than 120 thousand people died.
Indonesia, 2009
In October, a series of strong earthquakes occurred in Sumatra (Indonesia). According to the UN, at least 1.1 thousand people were killed. Up to four thousand people were trapped under the rubble.
On the night of April 6, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 5.8 occurred near the historical city of L'Aquila in central Italy, killing 300 people, injuring one and a half thousand, and more than 50 thousand were forced to flee their homes.
Pakistan, China, 2008
At the end of October, in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 70 km north of the city of Quetta (700 km southwest of Islamabad) killed up to 300 people.
And in May, in the province of Sichuan, in southern China, 92 km from the administrative center of the province - the city of Chengdu - a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred, which claimed the lives of up to 87 thousand people, 370 thousand were injured, five million residents were left homeless . The main earthquake was followed by over ten thousand aftershocks.
The Sichuan earthquake was the strongest in China since the Tangshan earthquake (in 1976), which claimed about 250 thousand lives.
Peru, 2007
On August 15, the most powerful earthquake in history occurred in Peru, 161 km from the capital Lima. last years. As a result of tremors measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, cities along the entire southern coast of the country were affected. At least 519 were killed, and about one and a half thousand people were injured. Almost 17 thousand people were left without electricity and telephone communications. The most affected cities were the southern coast, Chincha Alta, Pisco, Ica, as well as the capital Lima.
Indonesia, 2006
At the end of May, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the island of Java in Indonesia, killing 6,618 people. The city of Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas suffered the most. The tremors destroyed about 200 thousand houses and seriously damaged the same number of buildings. About 647 thousand people were left homeless.
Pakistan, Indonesia, 2005
On October 8, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 in Pakistan became the strongest on record for seismic observations in South Asia. According to official data, more than 73 thousand people died, including 17 thousand children. According to some estimates, the death toll was more than 100 thousand people. More than three million Pakistanis were left homeless.
In March, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred off the coast of the Indonesian island of Nias, located west of Sumatra. About 1,300 people died.
Indonesia, 2004
At the end of December, one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes in modern history occurred off the eastern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The tidal wave caused by this earthquake measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale hit the coasts of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. The total number of victims in the countries affected by the tsunami is still not known exactly, however, according to various sources, this figure is approximately 230 thousand people.
Iran, 2003
In December, the largest earthquake in the last ten years struck southeast Iran. The strength of the first tremors was 6.7 points on the Richter scale, and the second was slightly weaker - about 5 points. The epicenter of the earthquake was located several tens of kilometers from the large city of Bam. The consequences were catastrophic: up to 90% of buildings were destroyed. In addition, the city's utility networks were severely damaged - electricity, water and telephone communications were cut off. About 50 thousand people became victims of the disaster. Earlier, in February, an earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale occurred in the Xinjiang Uyghur region of China. About 300 people died.
Afghanistan, 2002
In March, a powerful earthquake occurred in Afghanistan. The force of the tremors reached 5 - 6 points on the Richter scale. As a result, more than one and a half thousand people died and more than four thousand were injured.
Earlier in June, a powerful earthquake occurred at night in South America. The epicenter of the tremors was located in Pacific Ocean off the coast of Peru. The strength of the earthquake here was 7.9 on the Richter scale. In the south of Peru and in the north of Chile, tremors with a force of 6.0 were felt. Of the major cities, Arica in Chile and Arequipa in Peru were affected. The earthquake lasted only one minute. However, during this time the elements dealt a terrible blow. About 50 people were killed and more than 550 were injured.
That same month, a strong earthquake struck Iran. The strength of the tremors was 6.3 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was in locality Buin Zohra. As a result, about 500 people died and one and a half thousand were injured.
Humanity, which practically did not know catastrophic tsunamis in the 20th century, already in the first two decades of the current century experienced the impact of three powerful “rogue waves”. Another example of the monstrous power of the elements was the disaster on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on September 28, 2018.
The tsunami was caused by an underwater earthquake: two successive shocks of magnitude 6.1 and 7.4. Numerous aftershocks were recorded after them. After some time, the enraged sea burst into the city, which suffered from a seismic shock. According to preliminary information, the number of victims of the natural disaster was more than 800 people. Thousands of buildings, bridges and roads were destroyed in the coastal strip. A large coastal area is flooded. Apparently, the number of victims will increase.
People managed to film the approach of the tsunami to the shore with cameras from mobile gadgets. The recordings show that it was the impact of a whole series of waves.
A tsunami occurs during an earthquake in the sea or ocean - with a sharp and strong displacement of the bottom, especially if the process is accompanied by an instantaneous vertical rise of one of the wings of a tectonic rupture. The maximum amplitude of waves occurs when rocks move at a depth of about 10 kilometers and decreases with the deepening of the source.
A water mountain is formed above the place of tectonic shift, which, when subsiding, generates waves that diverge in all directions from the epicenter, like a stone thrown into the water. In the open ocean they are very long. The distance between the two crests of such waves reaches 100-150 kilometers at a fairly low height - a few meters. Ships may not notice a tsunami far from the coast.
Waves of this kind travel at speeds of up to 600-800 kilometers per hour. As the depth decreases, they become slower due to friction with the shallows. However, the height of the tsunami is increasing. The wave energy is redistributed from the lower part of the water column to the upper part, which moves at a higher speed. A white breaker appears on the crest, and the wave takes on an asymmetrical shape. The side facing the shore becomes steep and concave.
Such waves with their entire mass crash onto the shore and destroy everything in their path. The height of a tsunami can grow to monstrous proportions in narrow bays. When the wave's energy runs out, it rushes back into the ocean, taking with it all floating objects. Typically, tsunamis come in series: after the first wave hits, new ones should be expected.
Most often, tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean, where the ring of fire of active volcanoes is located and constant strong earthquakes occur. It is here, in the zone of the active continental margin, that heavy and colder oceanic lithospheric plates subduct under lighter but higher continental plates. The interaction processes between them cause shaking of the earth's crust.
It is very difficult to predict a tsunami, but residents of coastal areas, having felt tremors, should immediately go inland and rise to higher ground. A characteristic sign of the approach of a “rogue wave” is a sharp and strong retreat of the sea. If an earthquake occurs near the coast, people have no more than half an hour to save themselves. In the event that the source of the tremors was located at a considerable distance from the coastline, the authorities have time to notify the population and organize evacuation.
The last powerful tsunami occurred on March 11, 2011 in Japan, it was caused by a strong earthquake - magnitude 9.0 with an epicenter 373 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The height of the waves that day in some places was about 40 meters. The impact of the elements caused an accident on nuclear power plant"Fukushima I". About 16 thousand people died in the disaster. Approximately 5.5 thousand were injured.
The worst and deadliest earthquake in human memory was the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. In terms of its strength, the shaking of the earth's crust that day is recognized as the second of all recorded in history. The magnitude 9.3 tremor caused waves that affected several countries in Asia and Africa: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Somalia and others. The total death toll was monstrous: more than 235 thousand people.
In the 21st century, two more significant tsunamis were recorded: September 6, 2004 in Japan (wave height of about a meter, several dozen people were injured) and April 2, 2007 in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea (wave height of several meters, 52 dead).
In the last century, fewer catastrophic tsunamis were recorded. True, it is worth noting that the technical means that humanity had at that time do not allow us to talk about high accuracy of observations.
On July 17, 1998, a huge underwater landslide following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake triggered a tsunami off the coast of New Guinea, killing more than two thousand people.
On March 28, 1964, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 9.2 in Prince William Sound caused a series of waves up to 67 meters high. The disaster claimed the lives of about 150 people.
On July 9, 1958, the highest known tsunami in the observable history of the Earth was recorded. An earthquake in southwestern Alaska caused an entire mountain to fall into Lituya Bay, causing a wave more than 500 meters high to crash onto the opposite shore of the bay. Because the disaster occurred in a sparsely populated area, only five people died.
On March 9, 1957, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 on the Andrean Islands near Alaska caused two waves up to 15 meters high, and also “awakened” the Vsevidov volcano on Umnak Island after a 200-year hibernation. More than 300 people became victims of the disaster.
On November 5, 1952, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.3 to 9, 130 kilometers off the coast of Kamchatka, caused three successive tsunamis up to 18 meters high, which washed away almost the entire Soviet city of Severo-Kurilsk. More than two thousand people died then.
A peculiar story telling about the tsunamis that have occurred over the past five thousand years was discovered by scientists during excavations in a sea cave in Indonesia. This discovery showed that science knows very little about how and when earthquakes can cause giant waves.
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