The highest tsunami in the history of the planet. The largest tsunami in the world and its height

Tsunami is one of the most terrifying natural phenomena. It is a wave formed as a result of “shaking” of the entire thickness of water in the ocean. Tsunamis are most often caused by underwater earthquakes.

Approaching the shore, the tsunami grows into a huge shaft tens of meters high and hits the shore with millions of tons of water. The largest tsunami in the world caused colossal destruction and led to the death of millions of people.

Krakatoa, 1883

This tsunami was not caused by an earthquake or landslide. The explosion of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia generated a powerful wave that swept along the entire coast of the Indian Ocean.

Residents of fishing villages within a radius of about 500 km from the volcano had virtually no chance of survival. Victims were observed even in South Africa, on the opposite shore of the ocean. In total, 36.5 thousand people are considered dead from the tsunami itself.

Kuril Islands, 1952

The tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 7 earthquake, destroyed the city of Severo-Kurilsk and several fishing villages. Then the residents had no idea about the tsunami and after the earthquake stopped they returned to their homes, becoming victims of a 20-meter water shaft. Many were caught up in the second and third waves because they did not know that a tsunami is a series of waves. About 2,300 people died. The authorities of the Soviet Union decided not to report the tragedy in the media, so the disaster became known only decades later.

The city of Severo-Kurilsk was subsequently moved to a higher place. And the tragedy became the reason for the organization of a tsunami warning system in the USSR and more active scientific research in seismology and oceanology.

Lituya Bay, 1958

An earthquake with a magnitude of more than 8 provoked a huge landslide with a volume of more than 300 million cubic meters, consisting of stones and ice from two glaciers. To these were added the waters of the lake, the shore of which collapsed into the bay.

As a result, a gigantic wave was formed, reaching a height of 524 m! It swept across the bay, licking the vegetation and soil on the slopes of the bay like a tongue, completely destroying the spit that separated it from Gilbert Bay. This is the highest tsunami wave in history. The banks of Lituya were not inhabited, so only 5 fishermen became victims.

Chile, 1960

On May 22, the consequences of the Great Chilean Earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 were a volcanic eruption and a tsunami 25 m high. Almost 6 thousand people died.

But the rogue wave did not calm down there. At the speed of a jet plane, it crossed the Pacific Ocean, killing 61 people in Hawaii, and reached the shores of Japan. Another 142 people became victims of the tsunami, which occurred at a distance of more than 10 thousand km. After this, it was decided to warn about the danger of a tsunami even in the most remote areas of the coast that may be in the path of a deadly wave.

Philippines, 1976

The powerful earthquake caused a wave, the height of which seems to be unimpressive - 4.5 m. Unfortunately, the tsunami hit the low-lying coast for more than 400 miles. But the residents were not prepared for such a threat. The result is more than 5 thousand dead and about 2.5 thousand missing without a trace. Almost 100 thousand residents of the Philippines were left homeless, and many villages along the coastline were simply completely washed away along with their inhabitants.

Papua New Guinea, 1998

The consequence of the earthquake on July 17 was a gigantic underwater landslide, which caused a 15-meter wave. And so the poor country suffered several natural disasters, more than 2,500 people died or went missing. And more than 10 thousand residents lost their homes and livelihoods. The tragedy became the impetus for studying the role of underwater landslides in causing tsunamis.

Indian Ocean, 2004

December 26, 2004 is forever inscribed in blood in the history of Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries on the Indian Ocean coast. On this day, the tsunami claimed the lives of about 280 thousand people, and according to unofficial data - up to 655 thousand.

The underwater earthquake caused waves 30 m high that hit coastal areas within 15 minutes. The large number of deaths is due to several reasons. This is a high degree of population on the coast, low-lying areas, and a large number of tourists on the beaches. But the main reason is the lack of an established tsunami warning system and poor awareness of people about safety measures.

Japan, 2011

The height of the wave resulting from the magnitude 9 earthquake reached 40 m. The whole world watched in horror the footage of the tsunami destroying coastal buildings, ships, cars...

Which amazes with its power, strength and boundless energy. This element attracts the attention of researchers who are trying to understand the very nature of the occurrence of giant waves in order to prevent terrible consequences from the destructive power of water. This review will present a list of the largest tsunamis in scope that have occurred over the past 60 years.

Destructive wave in Alaska

The largest tsunamis in the world occur under the influence of various factors, but the most common cause of this phenomenon is earthquakes. It was the tremors that became the basis for the formation of a deadly wave back in 1964 in Alaska. Good Friday (March 27), one of the main Christian holidays, was overshadowed by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 points. The natural phenomenon had a direct impact on the ocean - waves 30 meters long and 8 meters high arose. The tsunami destroyed everything in its path: the West Coast of North America, as well as Haiti and Japan, were affected. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska decreased by 2.4 meters.

Samoa's deadly tsunami

The photo of the largest wave in the world (tsunami) invariably impresses and evokes the most contradictory feelings - this is both horror from realizing the scale of the disaster that followed, and a certain reverence for the forces of nature. In general, a lot of similar pictures have appeared on news resources in recent years. They depict the terrible consequences of a natural disaster that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 local residents died during the disaster, most of whom were children.

The magnitude 8.1 earthquake caused the world's largest tsunami. Photos of the consequences can be seen in the review. The maximum wave height reached 13.7 meters. The water destroyed several villages as it moved 1.6 km inland. Subsequently, after this tragic event, the situation in the region began to be monitored, which made it possible to evacuate people in a timely manner.

Hokkaido Island, Japan

The rating “The biggest tsunami in the world” cannot be imagined without the incident that occurred in Japan in 1993. The root cause of the formation of giant waves is an earthquake, which was localized 129 km from the coast. The authorities announced the evacuation of people, but it was not possible to avoid casualties. The height of the largest tsunami in the world, which occurred in Japan, was 30 meters. Special barriers were not enough to stop the powerful flow, so the small island of Okusuri was completely submerged in water. On this day, about 200 people out of 250 inhabitants who inhabited the city died.

City of Tumaco: the horror of a December morning

1979, December 12 - one of the most tragic days in the lives of people inhabiting the Pacific coast. It was on this morning at about 8:00 that an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 8.9. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After this, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, sweeping away everything in its path. Within a few hours of the disaster, 259 people died, more than 750 were seriously injured, and 95 residents were declared missing. Below is a photo of the largest wave in the world. The tsunami in Tumaco cannot leave anyone indifferent.

Indonesian tsunami

5th place in the list of “The largest tsunamis in the world” is occupied by a wave 7 meters high, but stretching for 160 km. The Pangadarian resort area disappeared from the face of the earth along with the people who inhabited the area. In July 2006, 668 residents died and more than 9,000 sought help from medical institutions. About 70 people were declared missing.

Papua New Guinea: tsunami for humanity

The largest tsunami wave in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, became an opportunity for scientists to advance in studying the underlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides, which contribute to water fluctuations, was identified.

In July 1998, an earthquake occurred with a magnitude of 7 points. Despite the seismic activity, scientists were unable to predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casualties. More than 2,000 residents died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their shelter and livelihood, 500 people disappeared.

Philippines: no chance of salvation

If you ask experts what is the largest tsunami in the world, they will unanimously name the wave of 1976. During this period, seismic activity was recorded near the island of Mindanao; at the source, the strength of the tremors reached 7.9 points. The earthquake created a wave of enormous scale that covered 700 km of the Philippine coast. The tsunami reached a height of 4.5 m. Residents did not have time to evacuate, which led to numerous casualties. More than 5 thousand died, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. In total, 90 thousand people suffered from the tsunami and lost their homes.

Pacific Death

The year 1960 is marked red in history. This comes as 6,000 people died due to a magnitude 9.5 earthquake at the end of May this year. It was seismic tremors that contributed to the eruption of the volcano and the formation of a colossal wave that swept away everything in its path. The height of the tsunami reached 25 meters, which in 1960 was a true record.

Tsunami in Tohuku: nuclear disaster

Japan faced this again, but the consequences were even worse than in 1993. A powerful wave, which reached 30 meters, hit Ofunato, a Japanese city. As a result of the disaster, more than 125 thousand buildings were taken out of service, and serious damage was caused to the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The nuclear disaster was one of the most serious in recent years throughout the world. There is still no reliable information about the true damage caused to the environment. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread over 320 km.

Tsunami in India is a threat to all humanity!

The natural disasters listed in the World's Biggest Tsunamis cannot compare to the event that occurred in December 2004. The wave hit several states that have access to the Indian Ocean. This is a real world war that required more than 14 billion dollars to correct the situation. According to reports presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people living in various countries died: India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.

The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. Its strength was 9.3 points. The water flow reached the coasts of some countries 15 minutes after the start of seismic activity, which did not give people a chance to escape death. Other states fell into the power of the elements after 7 hours, but despite such a delay, the population did not evacuate due to the lack of a warning system. Some people, oddly enough, were helped to escape by children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.

Tsunami in the fjord-shaped Gulf of Alaska

In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami has been recorded, the height of which exceeds all conceivable and inconceivable records. In particular, scientists were able to record a wave with a height of 524 meters. A powerful stream of water rushed at a speed of 160 km/h. There was not a single living place left on the way: the trees were uprooted, the rocks were covered with cracks and breaks. La Gaussie Spit was wiped off the face of the Earth. Fortunately, there were few casualties. Only the death of the crew of one of the longboats, which at that moment was in a nearby bay, was recorded.

Such an incredible miracle of nature as a tsunami is shocking in its scope. It is powerful because it has colossal strength. It is not surprising why so many scientists in the world have been trying for decades to understand nature, the history of the formation of waves of gigantic height. They record what the largest tsunami in the world was, analyze and draw conclusions. What is the purpose of studying them? Understand and find ways to prevent the terrifying consequences that the power of water is capable of. There are many cases in history when people managed to escape from a tsunami. If you use this experience and add modern developments, you can certainly protect yourself from such a destructive element as a tsunami.

Ocean waves of enormous size (meaning tsunamis, the height of which reaches several meters) are capable of sweeping people, animals, and human creations out of their path: buildings, houses, cars, etc. There are many cases in history confirming this. The power of a tsunami is not just great, it is terrifying. People are frightened by the size of the wave, its height, and the speed of movement, the large distance between the waves (the crests can follow each other over tens of kilometers). A tsunami is a cataclysm that shocks with its natural features. If in open water the waves are not so huge (their height can reach a meter or two), then approaching the coast they literally grow in size, increase in strength and deliver such a crushing blow that nothing alive remains on land. Nothing in the world can resist natural power: neither strong structures nor high barriers. History has recorded only isolated cases of tsunamis that did not kill people. In the news we hear about tsunamis, the height of which is measured at several meters, and the consequences of the disaster are irreparable.

Review of the largest tsunamis in the world

In an attempt to determine the world's largest tsunami, researchers who have dedicated their lives to studying tsunamis have compiled a list of devastating elements that cannot be forgotten. Interestingly, it is difficult for scientists to say what the largest tsunami in the world was, since there are no clear parameters for determining it. Here opinions are simply divided. Some may say that the largest tsunamis in the world, in history, were those that claimed a huge number of lives. And most researchers are inclined to think that the largest tsunamis in the world were those that were distinguished by the greatest power and speed. Often the height of a tsunami is taken as the main indicator.

The review presents the largest tsunamis in the world over the past sixty years (by year):

• 1958 Alaska. Deadly tsunami. The largest that took place in the first half of the 20th century. It happened in March, on the day when the Christian holiday (Good Friday) took place. Seismologists recorded an earthquake of 9.2 points. It was this that caused a tsunami 8 meters high and 30 meters long. More than 120 people were among the victims.
• 1964 Prince William Sound. The tsunami was caused by an earthquake whose strength reached 9.2. The power of the shock, which covered 800 thousand square meters. m., can be compared with the explosion of twelve thousand atomic bombs. Many settlements and the city of Veldez disappeared from the map. The northern coast of America suffered serious damage. The height of the tsunami was 67 m. Now you understand that we are talking about the largest (highest) tsunami in the world. The deadly wave killed 150 people. If the region had been more populated, there would have been an order of magnitude more casualties.
• 1976 Philippines. A tsunami caused by a powerful earthquake covered more than 700 kilometers of the Philippine coast with its wave. Was the wave high? No, only 4.5 meters. But this was enough to kill more than 5 thousand people, injure almost 10 thousand people, and deprive 90 thousand residents of housing and livelihoods. People had absolutely no chance of salvation. The numbers are shocking. Perhaps the Philippine tsunami was the largest tsunami in the world.
• 1979 Tumaco. The city, located on the Pacific coast, was destroyed by one of the largest tsunamis in the world in 1979. More precisely, it was a whole series of destructive waves. This happened in the last month of the year. Then the earthquake was strong (8.9 points). Result: 750 in need of medical attention, 259 dead, 95 missing - these are the results of the tsunami in Tumaco.
• 1993 Hokkaido. In 1993, this island was “attacked” by a tsunami, which was included in the ranking of the largest tsunamis in the world. The cause of the disaster was again an earthquake. More than 80% of the island's inhabitants (200 people) died, although everyone heard the announcement of an urgent evacuation. There was too little time at our disposal. Special barriers could not hold back waves 30 m high.
• 1998 Papua New Guinea. The largest tsunami waves in the world were here. Their height reached 15 meters. The disaster was caused by a 7-magnitude earthquake. The consequences of the tsunami were severe: 2,000 people died, 500 disappeared, 10,000 were left homeless. Why weren't people saved? Experts say that this is the fault of seismologists who failed to predict the scale and size of the tsunami.
• 2004 India. Perhaps this tsunami will definitely take pride of place on the list of the largest tsunamis in the world. The disaster has become a threat to all humanity. Many states that had access to the Indian Ocean felt the powerful blow of a 30-meter wave. More than 14 billion dollars had to be raised to correct the situation in the world. More than 240,000 people died (just imagine!). The victims of the disaster were mainly residents of Thailand, India, Indonesia and other countries. The amplitude of the earthquake reached 9.3 points. People who lived on the coast had only 15 minutes to save themselves.
• 2006 Indonesia. A 7 meter high tsunami destroyed Pangadarian (a famous resort), killing 668 people. The island of Java is deserted. Approximately 70 people remained missing, and about 9 thousand people required medical help. Was this the biggest tsunami? No one will answer for sure. But the fact that it caused irreparable damage remains an obvious fact.
• 2009 Samoa. The terrible tsunami was also caused by an earthquake, the amplitude of which reached 8.1 points. Researchers note that this tsunami was the largest tsunami in the world, as waves 13.7 m high caused crazy damage. Then 198 people died. What is very shocking is that the high waves took mostly children. Many villages found themselves under water in a matter of minutes. Today there is constant surveillance here, which allows for timely evacuation.
• 2011 Tohuku. We are talking about a nuclear disaster. Just imagine, a wave 30 m high hit Japan. It destroyed 125,000 buildings, but most importantly, it caused incredible damage to the Fukushima-1 (nuclear power plant), which caused radiation to spread over 320 kilometers.

As you can see for yourself, the consequences of the tsunami are difficult to describe in words.

The biggest tsunamis in the world may not be the most terrible and destructive. However, everywhere in the world people are dying, houses and important objects are being destroyed, and moored ships are being damaged.

It is known that animals and birds “know” about the impending tsunami. They feel energy waves (any weather-dependent person in the world can feel them). You may notice how animals begin to leave their homes. This can happen a few days before a disaster or a few hours before it. For example, in Japan, local residents keep aquarium catfish and, based on their restless behavior, determine the likelihood of a catastrophe. When a tsunami hits, catfish start jumping out of their tanks. It does not matter what the height of the element will be.

The occurrence of a tsunami can also be recorded using instruments. Take a look at seismologists (in their special world of seismology) they have special units for such cases. They can even predict when the collapse will occur and what the wave height will be.

If you see that the water has suddenly moved away from the shore, or an earthquake has occurred, or a meteorite has fallen into the water, expect a tsunami. Take valuables with you and climb the mountains, move away from the water. A distance of three to five kilometers from the ocean or sea is considered safe. In any case, it is important to remain calm. Panic can only do harm. What you definitely shouldn’t do is stay on the shore and wait for the beautiful but dangerous ones to swallow the coast. You should not return to the shore even after 4-5 hours, when the water level (height) subsides. Perhaps not all the waves have passed yet. If in peacetime everyone had these rules, there would be an order of magnitude fewer casualties.

Tsunamis have been a nightmare for island residents throughout the centuries. These multi-meter waves with enormous destructive force swept away everything in their path, leaving behind only bare earth and debris. Scientists have been keeping statistics on monstrous waves since the nineteenth century; during this period, more than a hundred tsunamis of varying power were recorded. Do you know what the biggest tsunami in the world was?

Tsunami: what is it?

It is not surprising that the term “tsunami” was first introduced by the Japanese. They suffered from giant waves more often than anyone, because the Pacific Ocean generates the largest number of destructive waves than all other seas and oceans combined. This is due to the topography of the ocean floor and the high seismicity of the region. In Japanese, the word "tsunami" consists of two characters meaning flood and wave. Thus, the very meaning of the phenomenon is revealed - a wave in the bay, sweeping away all life on the coast.

When was the first tsunami recorded?

Of course, people have always suffered from tsunamis. Ordinary island residents came up with their own names for rogue waves and believed that the gods of the seas were punishing people by sending destructive waves at them.

The first tsunami was officially recorded and explained at the end of the sixteenth century. This was done by the monk of the Jesuit church, Jose de Acosta, he was in Peru when a wave about twenty-five meters high hit the shore. It swept away all the settlements around in a few seconds and moved ten kilometers deep into the continent.

Tsunami: causes and consequences

Tsunamis are most often caused by earthquakes and underwater volcanic eruptions. The closer the earthquake epicenter is to the coast, the stronger the rogue wave will be. The largest tsunamis in the world that have been recorded by mankind could reach speeds of up to one hundred and sixty kilometers per hour and exceed three hundred meters in height. Such waves leave no chance of survival for any living creature caught in their path.

If we consider the nature of this phenomenon, then it can be briefly explained as the simultaneous displacement of a large amount of water masses. Eruptions or earthquakes raise the ocean floor sometimes by several meters, which causes water vibrations and forms several waves diverging from the epicenter in different directions. Initially, they do not represent something terrible and deadly, but as they approach the shore, the speed and height of the wave increases, and it turns into a tsunami.

In some cases, tsunamis are formed as a result of giant landslides. During the twentieth century, about seven percent of all gigantic waves arose for this reason.

The consequences of the destruction left behind by the world's largest tsunami are terrible: thousands of casualties and hundreds of kilometers of land filled with debris and mud. In addition, in the disaster area there is a high probability of the spread of infectious diseases due to a lack of drinking water and rotting bodies of the dead, the search for which is not always possible to organize in the shortest possible time.

Tsunami: is it possible to escape?

Unfortunately, the global warning system for a possible approaching tsunami is still imperfect. In the best case, people become aware of the danger a few minutes before the wave hits, so it is necessary to know the signs of impending trouble and the rules of survival during a cataclysm.

If you are on the sea or ocean coast, then carefully monitor earthquake reports. A shaking of the earth's crust with a magnitude of about seven on the Richter scale that occurred somewhere nearby can serve as a warning of a possible tsunami strike. The approach of a rogue wave is signaled by a sudden low tide - the ocean floor is quickly exposed for several kilometers. This is a clear sign of a tsunami. Moreover, the further the water goes, the stronger and more destructive the arriving wave will be. Animals often anticipate such natural disasters: a few hours before the cataclysm, they whine, hide, and try to go deeper into the island or mainland.

To survive a tsunami, you need to leave the dangerous area as soon as possible. Do not take a lot of things with you; drinking water, food and documents will be enough. Try to move as far away from the coast as possible or climb onto the roof of a multi-story building. All floors after the ninth are considered safe.

If the wave does overtake you, then find an object that you can hold on to. According to statistics, most people die when the wave begins to return back to the ocean and carries away all the objects it comes across. Keep in mind that a tsunami almost never ends in one wave. Most often, the first one will be followed by a series of two or even three new ones.

So, when were the biggest tsunamis in the world? And how much destruction did they cause?

This disaster does not fit any of the previously described incidents on the sea coast. To date, the megatsunami in Lituya Bay has become the largest and most destructive in the world. Until now, eminent luminaries in the field of oceanology and seismology are arguing about the possibility of repeating such a nightmare.

Lituya Bay is located in Alaska and extends eleven kilometers inland, its maximum width does not exceed three kilometers. Two glaciers descend into the bay, which became the unwitting creators of a huge wave. The 1958 tsunami in Alaska was caused by an earthquake that occurred on July 9th. The power of the shocks exceeded eight points, which caused a huge landslide into the waters of the bay. Scientists estimate that thirty million cubic meters of ice and stones fell into the water in a few seconds. Parallel to the landslide, the subglacial lake sank thirty meters, from which released water masses rushed into the bay.

A huge wave rushed onto the coast and circled the bay several times. The height of the tsunami wave reached five hundred meters, the raging elements completely demolished the trees on the rocks along with the soil. This wave is currently the highest in human history. An amazing fact is that only five people died as a result of the powerful tsunami. The fact is that there are no residential settlements in the bay; at the time the wave arrived in Lituya there were only three fishing boats. One of them, along with the crew, immediately sank, and the other was lifted by a wave to its maximum height and carried out into the ocean.

Indian Ocean avalanche 2004

The 2004 Thailand tsunami shocked everyone on the planet. As a result of the destructive wave, more than two hundred thousand people died. The cause of the disaster was an earthquake in the Sumatra region on December 26, 2004. The tremors lasted no more than ten minutes and exceeded nine points on the Richter scale.

A thirty-meter wave swept with enormous speed throughout the Indian Ocean and went around it, stopping near Peru. Almost all island countries were affected by the tsunami, including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

Having killed several hundred thousand people, the 2004 tsunami in Thailand left behind destroyed homes, hotels and several thousand local residents who died as a result of infections and poor-quality drinking water. At the moment, this tsunami is considered the largest in the twenty-first century.

Severo-Kurilsk: tsunami in the USSR

The list of “The largest tsunamis in the world” must include the wave that hit the Kuril Islands in the middle of the last century. An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean caused a twenty-meter wave. The epicenter of the earthquake with a magnitude of seven was located one hundred and thirty kilometers from the coast.

The first wave arrived in the city about an hour later, but most local residents were in shelter on higher ground away from the city. No one warned them that a tsunami was a series of waves, so all the townspeople returned to their homes after the first one. A few hours later, the second and third waves hit Severo-Kurilsk. Their height reached eighteen meters, they almost completely destroyed the city. More than two thousand people died as a result of the cataclysm.

Rogue wave in Chile

In the second half of the last century, Chileans faced a terrifying tsunami that killed more than three thousand people. The cause of the giant waves was the most powerful earthquake in the history of mankind, its magnitude exceeded nine and a half points.

A wave twenty-five meters high covered Chile fifteen minutes after the first shocks. In one day, it covered several thousand kilometers, destroying the coasts of Hawaii and Japan.

Despite the fact that humanity has been “familiar” with tsunamis for quite some time, this natural phenomenon is still one of the little studied. Scientists have not learned to predict the appearance of rogue waves, so, most likely, in the future the list of their victims will be replenished with new deaths.

In Japanese, the character “tsu” is a bay or bay, “nami” is a wave. Together, both hieroglyphs translate as “wave flooding the bay.” The catastrophic consequences of two tsunamis that hit the shores of the Indian Ocean in 2004 and Japan in 2011 clearly demonstrated that reliable protection against this formidable natural phenomenon has not yet been found...

Tsunami - what is it?

Contrary to popular belief, a tsunami is not one gigantic wave that suddenly hits the shore and sweeps away everything in its path. In fact, a tsunami is a series of sea gravity waves of very long length, resulting from the displacement of extended sections of the bottom during strong underwater earthquakes or, occasionally, for other reasons - as a result of volcanic eruptions, giant landslides, asteroid falls, underwater nuclear explosions.

How does a tsunami occur?

The most common cause of a tsunami is vertical movement of the bottom during underwater earthquakes. When part of the bottom sinks and part rises, the mass of water begins to oscillate. In this case, the water surface tends to return to its original level - the average ocean level - and thus generates a series of waves.

The speed of tsunami propagation at a sea depth of 4.5 km exceeds 800 km/h. But the wave height in the open sea is usually small - less than a meter, and the distance between the crests is several hundred kilometers, so a tsunami is not so easy to notice from the deck of a ship or from an airplane. In the vast oceans, encountering a tsunami is not dangerous for any ship. But when waves enter shallow water, their speed and length decrease, and their height increases sharply. Near the coast, the wave height often exceeds 10 m, and in exceptional cases reaches 30-40 m. Then the impact of the elements causes colossal damage to coastal cities.

However, tsunami waves of relatively low height often cause enormous destruction. At first glance, this seems strange: why do the seemingly more formidable waves that arise during a storm not lead to similar casualties? The fact is that the kinetic energy of a tsunami is much higher than that of wind waves: in the first case, the entire thickness of the water moves, and in the second, only the surface layer. As a result, the pressure of water splashing onto land during a tsunami is many times higher than during a storm.

One more factor should not be discounted. During a storm, the excitement increases gradually, and people usually manage to move to a safe distance before they begin to face danger. A tsunami always comes suddenly.

Today, about 1000 cases of tsunamis are known, of which more than a hundred had catastrophic consequences. Geographically, the periphery of the Pacific Ocean is considered the most dangerous region - approximately 80% of all tsunamis occur there.

It is impossible to completely protect the coast from a tsunami, although some countries, especially Japan, have tried to build breakwaters and breakwaters in order to reduce the force of the waves. However, there are cases when these structures played a negative role: tsunamis destroyed them, and pieces of concrete picked up by water flows only aggravated the damage on the shore. Hopes for protection from trees planted along the shore were also not realized. To dampen the energy of waves, too large an area of ​​forest plantations is needed, and most coastal cities simply do not have that. Well, a narrow strip of trees along the embankment cannot provide any resistance to a tsunami.

One of the important measures to protect the population of dangerous regions from destructive waves was the international tsunami warning system created in the Pacific region. 25 states, including Russia, take part in its work. Scientists from different countries, based on a comprehensive analysis of strong earthquake zones, are trying to determine whether they caused tsunamis in the past, and what is the likelihood of tsunamis occurring in the future. The system's main research center, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, continuously monitors seismic conditions and surface levels in the Pacific Ocean.

In our country, the tsunami warning service of the Far East consists of three regional services: Kamchatka, Sakhalin regions and Primorsky Territory. In the Kamchatka region, in particular, there is a tsunami station of the territorial administration for hydrometeorology and environmental monitoring and a seismic station of the Institute of Earth Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The most destructive tsunamis of the past

It is possible that the most catastrophic tsunami event in human history occurred in ancient times, although it has come down to us in the form of myths and legends. Around 1450 BC. An entire civilization perished from a giant wave triggered by the Santorini volcano. 120 km from the volcano is Crete, which at that time was one of the most powerful powers in the Mediterranean. But the tsunami at one point caused colossal damage to the island of Crete, from which the previously prosperous state was never able to recover. It collapsed, and many of its cities were abandoned for two and a half thousand years.

Giant tsunami waves followed the devastating earthquake in Lisbon on November 1, 1755. The source of the earthquake was obviously at the bottom of the ocean. The total number of victims from the waves and earthquake is estimated at approximately 60 thousand people.

In 1883, as a result of a series of eruptions of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia, a powerful tsunami was formed, from which the islands of Java and Sumatra suffered the most. Waves up to 40 m high wiped out about 300 villages from the face of the earth, killing more than 36 thousand people. Near the city of Teluk Betung, a Dutch warship - the gunboat Berouw - was thrown 3 km inland and ended up on a mountainside at an altitude of 9 m above sea level. Seismic waves passed two or three times around the Earth, and unusual red dawns were observed for a long time in Europe from the ash thrown into the atmosphere.

The most destructive tsunami of the 20th century hit the coast of Chile on May 22, 1960. The tsunami and the powerful earthquake that generated it, measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale, killed 2,000 people, injured 3,000, left two million homeless, and caused $550 million in damage. The same tsunami killed 61 people in Hawaii, 20 in the Philippines, 3 in Okinawa and more than 100 in Japan. The wave height on Pitcairn Island reached 13 m, on Hawaii - 12 m.

The most unusual tsunami

In 1958, a tsunami formed in Lituya Bay in Alaska, caused by a giant landslide - about 81 million tons of ice and solid rock fell into the sea as a result of the earthquake. The waves reached an incredible height of 350-500 m - these are the largest waves ever recorded in history! The tsunami washed away all vegetation from the mountain slopes. Fortunately, the shores of the bay were uninhabited, and human casualties were minimal - only two fishermen died.

Tsunami in the Russian Far East

On April 4, 1923, a strong earthquake occurred in the Kamchatka Bay. 15-20 minutes later a wave approached the top of the bay. Two fish factories on the coast were completely destroyed, and the village of Ust-Kamchatsk was severely damaged. The ice on the Kamchatka River was broken over a distance of 7 km. 50 km southwest of the village, the maximum height of water rise on the coast was observed - up to 30 m.

In Russia, the most catastrophic tsunami occurred on the night of November 4–5, 1952 on the Far Eastern island of Paramushir, where the city of Severo-Kurilsk is located. At about 4 a.m., strong tremors began. Half an hour later the earthquake stopped, and the people who had left their homes returned to their homes. Only a few remained outside and noticed the approaching wave. They managed to take refuge in the hills, but when they went down to inspect the destruction and look for relatives, a second, even more powerful wave of water about 15 m high fell on the city. The captain of one tug stationed in the roadstead of Severo-Kurilsk said that that night the sailors did nothing They didn’t notice, but early in the morning they were surprised by the large amount of garbage and various objects floating around. When the morning fog cleared, they saw that there was no city on the shore.

On the same day, the tsunami reached the shores of Kamchatka and caused serious damage to a number of villages. In total, more than 2,000 people died, but in the USSR, until the early 1990s, almost no one knew about the events of that tragic night.

The tsunami that occurred on May 23, 1960, off the coast of Chile, reached the shores of the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka about a day later. The highest level of water rise was 6-7 m, and on the territory of the Khalaktyrsky beach near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - 15 m. In Vilyuchinskaya and Russkaya bays, houses were destroyed and outbuildings were washed into the sea.

Indian Ocean disaster (2004)

After an earthquake measuring about 9 on the Richter scale with an epicenter in the northern part of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, which occurred on the night of December 26, 2004, a powerful tsunami covered the Indian Ocean. The more than 1,000-kilometer fault line, created by the movement of large layers of the earth's crust on the ocean floor, generated a huge release of energy. The waves hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Maldives and Seychelles and reached Somalia, located 5 thousand km from the epicenter of the earthquake. More than 300 thousand people became victims of the tsunami, including foreign tourists from many countries who were vacationing in Indonesia and Thailand in those days. Most of the dead were in Indonesia (more than 180 thousand) and Sri Lanka (about 39 thousand).

Such numerous casualties are largely explained by the lack of basic knowledge among the local population about the impending danger. So, when the sea retreated from the shore, many locals and tourists remained on the shore - out of curiosity or out of a desire to collect the fish remaining in the puddles. In addition, after the first wave, many returned to their homes to assess the damage or try to find loved ones, not knowing that others would follow the first wave.

Tsunami in Japan (2011)

The tsunami was caused by a strong earthquake of magnitude 9.0-9.1 that occurred on March 11, 2011 at 14:46 local time (8:46 Moscow time). The center of the earthquake was at a depth of 32 km, at a point with coordinates 38.322° N. 142.369°E east of the island of Honshu, 130 km east of the city of Sendai and 373 km northeast of Tokyo. In Japan, the tsunami caused widespread destruction on the east coast. The maximum wave height was observed in Miyagi Prefecture - 10 m. The tsunami flooded the Sendai airport, washed away one passenger train, and caused serious damage to the Fukushima I nuclear power plant. In Sendai alone, the tsunami caused the death of approximately 300 people. The total damage caused to the country's economy amounts to hundreds of billions of dollars.

According to official data, the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami was 15,892 people, with another 2,576 people listed as missing. 6,152 people were seriously injured. According to unofficial data, the number of victims is much higher. According to media reports, 9,500 people are missing in the city of Minamisanriku alone.

Numerous photographic documents paint a truly apocalyptic picture of destruction:

The tsunami was observed along the entire Pacific coast - from Alaska to Chile, but outside Japan it looked much weaker. Hawaii's tourism infrastructure was hit the hardest - about 200 private yachts and boats were wrecked and sunk in Honolulu alone. On the island of Guam, waves tore two US Navy nuclear submarines from their moorings. In Crescent City, California, more than 30 boats were damaged and one person was killed.

According to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, due to the threat of a tsunami on the Kuril Islands, 11 thousand residents were evacuated from coastal areas. The highest wave height - about 3 m - was recorded in the area of ​​the village of Malokurilskoye.

Tsunami in cinema

In the popular genre of disaster films, tsunamis have repeatedly attracted the attention of screenwriters and directors. An example is the feature film “Tsunami” (South Korea, 2009), frames from which are given below.

The article uses photos from U.S. Navy, Wikipedia, Reuters, Kyodo, Yomiuri, Beawiharta, Ulet Ifansasti and SIPA Press.