Tsunami is an incredible natural phenomenon that strikes with its power, strength and boundless energy. This element attracts the attention of researchers who are trying to understand the very nature of the appearance of giant waves in order to prevent the terrible consequences of the destructive power of water. This review will present a list of the most grandiose in its scope tsunamis that have occurred over the past 60 years.
Destructive wave in Alaska
The largest tsunamis in the world arise under the influence of various factors, however, 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. A 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, as well as Haiti and Japan, suffered. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska decreased by 2.4 meters.
The deadly tsunami of Samoa
The photo of the largest wave in the world (tsunami) is invariably impressive and causes the most contradictory feelings - this is the horror of realizing the scale of the catastrophe that followed, and some kind of reverence for the forces of nature. In general, there have been a lot of similar pictures in recent years on news resources. They depict the terrible consequences of the natural cataclysm that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 local residents, most of whom are children, died during the disaster.
The 8.1 earthquake caused the largest tsunami in the world. Photos of the consequences can be seen in the review. The maximum wave height reached 13.7 meters. Water destroyed several villages as it advanced 1.6 km inland. Later, after this tragic event in the region, they began to monitor the situation, which allowed them to evacuate people on time.
Hokkaido Island, Japan
The rating "The biggest tsunamis 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 the earthquake, which was located 129 km from the coast. Authorities announced the evacuation of people, but the victims could not be avoided. 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 stream, so the small island of Okusuri was completely submerged in water. On this day, about 200 people from 250 residents of the city died.
Tumaco City: The Horror of December Morning
1979, December 12th is one of the most tragic days in the life of the people of the Pacific coast. It was this morning around 8:00 that an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which amounted to 8.9 points. But this was not the most serious shock that awaited people. After that, a whole series of tsunamis struck small villages and cities, which swept away everything in its path. During the 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 can not leave anyone indifferent.
Indonesian tsunami
5th place in the list of “The biggest tsunamis in the world” is occupied by 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 the area. In July 2006, 668 residents 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 the benefit of humanity
The largest tsunami wave in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, has become an opportunity for scientists to advance in the study of the underlying causes of this natural phenomenon. In particular, the primary role of strong underwater landslides that contribute to water fluctuations has been identified.
An earthquake struck Papua New Guinea in July 1998, magnitude 7. Despite seismic activity, scientists could not predict the tsunami, which caused numerous casualties. More than 2, 000 inhabitants died under the pressure of 15- and 10-meter waves, more than 10 thousand people lost their shelter and livelihood, 500 people were lost.
Philippines: no chance of salvation
If you ask experts what is the biggest tsunami in the world, then they will unanimously name the wave of 1976. During this period, seismic activity was recorded near the island of Mindanao, in the outbreak force the tremors reached 7.9 points. Due to the earthquake, a wave of grand scale was formed, which covered 700 km of the Philippines. 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 were killed, 2, 200 people were reported missing, about 9, 500 local residents were injured. In total, 90 thousand people suffered from the tsunami and lost their shelter over their heads.
Pacific death
The year 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 points. It was seismic shocks that contributed to the eruption of the volcano and the formation of a colossal wave, which swept everything in its path. The tsunami reached 25 meters, which in 1960 was a true record.
Tohuku tsunami: 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 the Ofunato - a Japanese city. As a result of the disaster, more than 125 thousand buildings were decommissioned, in addition, severe damage was caused to the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. A nuclear disaster has become one of the most serious in recent years worldwide. There is still no reliable information about what the true damage to the environment was. However, it is believed that radiation spread over 320 km.
The tsunami in India is a threat to all of humanity!
The natural disasters listed in the “Largest Tsunami in the World” ranking cannot compare with the event that occurred in December 2004. The wave hit several states that have access to the Indian Ocean. This is a real world humanitarian catastrophe, which required more than $ 14 billion to rectify the situation. According to the reports that were presented after the tsunami, more than 240 thousand people living in various countries were killed: India, Indonesia, Thailand, etc.
The reason for the formation of a 30-meter wave is an earthquake. His strength was 9.3 points. The water stream 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 a similar delay, the population was not evacuated due to the lack of a warning system. Strange as it may seem, some people were saved by children who studied signs of an impending catastrophe at school.
