Tsunami is an incredible natural phenomenon that 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 most grandiose tsunamis in their 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 are 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 - there were waves 30 meters long and 8 meters high. The tsunami demolished everything in its path: the West Coast of North America suffered, as well as Haiti and Japan. On that day, about 120 people died, andthe territory of Alaska has decreased by 2.4 meters.
Deadly tsunami in Samoa
The photo of the largest wave in the world (tsunami) invariably impresses and evokes the most conflicting feelings - this is both horror from the realization of the scale of the ensuing catastrophe, and a kind of reverence for the forces of nature. In general, in recent years, a lot of such pictures have appeared on news resources. 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 them children.
An 8.1 magnitude earthquake triggered the largest tsunami in the world. You can see photos of the consequences 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 region began to monitor the situation, which made it possible to evacuate people on time.
Hokkaido Island, Japan
Rating "The biggest tsunami in the world" can not 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 casu alties. The height of the largest tsunami in the world, which occurred in Japan, was 30 meters. Special barriers were not enough to stop a powerful flow, so a smallOkusuri Island was completely submerged. About 200 out of 250 inhabitants who inhabited the city died that day.
City of Tumaco: the horror of a December morning
1979 December 12 is one of the most tragic days in the lives of the people of the Pacific Coast. It was on this morning at about 8:00 am that an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which was 8.9 points. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After that, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, which swept away everything in its path. Within hours of the disaster, 259 people died, more than 750 were seriously injured, and 95 residents were reported missing. Below, readers are presented with a photo of the largest wave in the world. The tsunami in Tumaco cannot leave anyone indifferent.
Indonesian tsunami
5 place in the list of "The biggest tsunami in the world" is a wave 7 meters high, but stretching for 160 km. The resort area of Pangadaryan disappeared from the face of the earth along with the people who inhabited this area. In July 2006, 668 inhabitants of the island of Java died, more than 9,000 turned to medical institutions for help. About 70 people were reported missing.
Papua New Guinea: Tsunami for Humanity
The biggest tsunami in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, was an opportunity for scientists to advance in the studyunderlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides, which contribute to water fluctuations, was determined.
In Papua New Guinea in July 1998, an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which was 7 points. Despite the seismic activity, scientists were unable to predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casu alties. More than 2,000 people died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their homes and livelihoods, 500 people went missing.
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, in the source, the strength of the tremors reached 7.9 points. Because of the earthquake, a grandiose wave was formed in its scope, which covered 700 km of the coast of the Philippines. The tsunami reached a height of 4.5 m. The inhabitants did not have time to evacuate, which led to numerous casu alties. More than 5,000 people were killed, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. In total, 90 thousand people were affected by the tsunami and lost shelter over their heads.
Pacific death
1960 is marked in red in history. This is due to the fact that at the end of May this year, 6,000 people died due to an earthquake of magnitude 9.5. It was seismic shocks that contributed to the eruption of the volcano and the formationa 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
In 2011, Japan again faced this natural disaster, 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 decommissioned, in addition, the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant was seriously damaged. The nuclear disaster has become one of the most serious in recent years in the world. There is still no reliable information about what the true damage to the environment was. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread to 320 km.
Tsunami in India is a threat to all mankind
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 global humanitarian catastrophe, which required more than 14 billion dollars to correct the situation. According to the reports that were presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people died living in various countries: India, Indonesia, Thailand and others.
The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. His strength was 9.3 points. The water flow reached the coast of some countries 15 minutes after the start of seismic activity,which did not give people a chance to escape from death. Other states fell into the power of the elements after 7 hours, but, despite such a delay, the population was not evacuated due to the lack of a warning system. Some people, oddly enough, were saved by children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.
Tsunami in the fjord-like Gulf of Alaska
In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami was recorded, the height of which exceeds all imaginable and unimaginable records. In particular, scientists were able to record a wave with a height of 524 meters. A powerful water stream 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 faults. The La Gaussy spit was wiped off the face of the Earth. Fortunately, there were few casu alties. Only the death of the crew of one of the launches, which at that moment was in the bay nearby, was recorded.
