The biggest tsunami in the world. Anatomy of big water or how to tame a wave

In December 2004, a photo of the biggest wave in the world spread around all the publications of the world. On December 26, an earthquake occurred in Asia, which resulted in a tsunami wave that killed more than 235,000 people.

The media published photos of the destruction, assuring readers and viewers that there has never been a big wave in the world. But the journalists were cunning... Indeed, in terms of its destructive power, the tsunami of 2004 is one of the deadliest. But the magnitude (height) of this wave is quite modest: it did not much exceed 15 meters. History knows higher waves, about which one can say: “Yes, this is the most a big wave in the world!"

Waves-record holders

Where are the biggest waves

Scientists are sure that the highest waves are not caused by earthquakes (because of them, tsunamis are more often formed), but by ground collapses. That's why high waves are most often:

… And other killer waves

Not only giant waves are dangerous. There is a more terrible variety: single killer waves. They come from nowhere, their height rarely exceeds 15 meters. But the pressure that they exert on all the objects they meet exceeds 100 tons per centimeter (ordinary waves "press" with a force of only 12 tons). These waves are practically not studied. It is only known that oil rigs and she crumples the ships like a sheet of plain paper.

Most common cause The appearance of waves in the oceans and seas is the wind: gusts of air move the surface layers of water at a certain speed. Thus, the wind can disperse a wave at a speed of 95 km / h, the raised water column can reach 300 meters in length. Such waves are able to overcome gigantic distances, but, as a rule, wave energy is extinguished in the ocean, being consumed long before land. In the case when the wind subsides, the disturbances in the ocean become smaller and smooth out.

Patterns of wave formation

Wave length and height depend not only on wind speed. The influence and duration of the wind impact is great, and it also matters what area of ​​the territory was covered by it. There is a regular correspondence: the maximum wave height is 1/7 of its length. For example, a breeze with a force above the average forms waves whose height reaches 3 meters, a hurricane, which has a vast area, raises waves up to about 20 meters.

Big wave formation

In 1933 the sailors American ship"Ramapo" in the South African Agulhas marked the highest normal wave - it reached a height of 34 m. Waves of a similar height are popularly called "killer waves", since even a large ship can easily fall through and get lost in the distances between their crests. Theoretically, the height of such ordinary waves can reach 60 m, but in practice, such waves have never been recorded.

In addition to the normal, that is, the wind origin of waves, other causes of wave generation are also known:

• earthquake
• eruption
• large meteorites falling into the ocean
• landslides leading to drastic change coastline
• trial nuclear weapons or other human activity

Tsunami

Tsunamis have the biggest waves. In fact, this is a serial wave caused by a certain impulse of enormous power. Tsunami waves are quite long, dips between peaks can reach more than 10 km. For this reason, a tsunami in the open ocean is not great danger, since the height of the waves rarely reaches 20 cm, only in some (record) cases can they reach 1.5 m. But the speed of the tsunami develops grandiose - the waves propagate at a speed of 800 km / h. In the open sea, such waves are almost impossible to notice from a ship. Tsunami waves acquire their monstrous strength as they approach the coastline. Reflecting from the shore, the waves are compressed in length, and their destructive energy does not disappear anywhere. As a result, the wave amplitude increases - their height. Of course, such waves are much more dangerous than wind waves, since they reach a much greater height.

The causes of the most terrifying tsunamis are significant disturbances in the topography of the ocean floor. These can be tectonic shifts or faults, in the event of which a billion tons of water at a speed jet aircraft travels great distances (as many as tens of thousands of kilometers). And it happens abruptly, immediately. A catastrophe is inevitable when a multibillion-dollar mass of water reaches the shore. Then the colossal energy of the waves is first directed to increase the amplitude, and then it falls on the coast with the entire powerful wall of water.

Bays with high shores are most often subject to dangerous tsunamis. Such places are real traps for serial waves. What is characteristic and at the same time scary is that a tsunami almost always swoops in suddenly, visually the sea can be the same as during low tides, high tides or an ordinary storm, so people do not even think about timely evacuation. Unfortunately, special warning systems for the approach of giant waves have not been developed everywhere.

Tsunami risk zones are also seismically active territories. The word "tsunami" itself is of Japanese origin, since earthquakes are very frequent here and waves of various scales and sizes constantly attack the islands. There are also real giants among them, it is they who lead to human casualties. The earthquake of 2011, which occurred in the east of Honshu, gave rise to a powerful tsunami up to 40 m high. Japan has not yet known such earthquakes. The catastrophe had horrendous consequences: the monstrous power of the waves dealt severe blows throughout east coast islands, taking away the lives of more than 15 thousand people along with the earthquake, several thousand people are considered missing to this day.

A large-scale disaster on the islands of Java and Sumatra in 2004 turned into a tsunami, which was generated by the strongest earthquake in Indian Ocean. By various sources from 200 to 300 thousand people died - this is 1/3 million. To date, the tsunami in the Indian Ocean is recognized as the most destructive in the world.

The record holder for the amplitude of the waves was tsunami "Lituya" that happened in 1958. It swept across Lituya Bay in Alaska at a speed of 160 km/h. The cause of the world's highest tsunami was giant size landslide. The wave height reached 524 m.

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 most grandiose tsunamis in their scope that have occurred over the past 60 years.

Destructive wave in Alaska

The largest tsunamis in the world are caused by various factors However, earthquakes are the most common cause of this phenomenon. 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: West Coast North America as well as Haiti and Japan. On this day, about 120 people died, and the territory of Alaska 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, similar pictures for last years appeared a lot on the news resources. They depict the terrible consequences of a natural disaster that took place in Samoa. According to reliable data, about 198 people died during the disaster. local residents most of which are children.

An 8.1 magnitude earthquake caused the largest tsunami in the world. You can see photos of the consequences in the review. Max Height waves reached 13.7 meters. The water destroyed several villages as it moved 1 mile (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

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 powerful stream, 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 life of people living in 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 it wasn't the best serious shock that was waiting for the people. After that, a whole series of tsunamis hit small villages and cities, which swept 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 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

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 this area. In July 2006, 668 residents died, more than 9,000 asked for help in medical institutions. About 70 people were reported missing.

Papua New Guinea: tsunami for the benefit of mankind

The largest tsunami wave in the world, despite the severity of all the consequences, was 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, which contribute to water fluctuations, was determined.

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 casualties. 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 disappeared.

Philippines: no chance for 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 casualties. More than 5,000 people were killed, 2,200 people were declared missing, and about 9,500 local residents were injured. A total of 90,000 people were affected by the tsunami and lost their homes.

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. It was the seismic tremors that contributed to the volcanic eruption and the formation of a colossal wave that swept 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 it 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 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. Reliable information about what was the true damage inflicted environment, still no. However, there is an opinion that the radiation spread to 320 km.

Tsunami in India - 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 one that 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 living in various countries: 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 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 the children who studied the signs of an impending disaster at school.

Tsunami in the fjord-shaped bay of Alaska

In the history of meteorological observations, a tsunami was recorded, the height of which exceeds all conceivable and unthinkable 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 casualties. Only the death of the crew of one of the launches, which at that moment was in the bay nearby, was recorded.

Tsunamis have been a nightmare for the inhabitants of the islands for all ages. These multi-meter waves swept away everything in their path with tremendous destructive force, leaving behind only bare earth and debris. The statistics of monstrous waves has been conducted by scientists since the nineteenth century, during this period more than a hundred tsunamis of various power were recorded. Do you know what were the biggest tsunamis in the world?

Tsunami: what is it?

It is not surprising that the term "tsunami" was first introduced by the Japanese. They suffered from giant waves most often, because the Pacific Ocean gives rise to the largest number of destructive waves than all other seas and oceans combined. This is due to the peculiarities of the relief of the ocean floor and the high seismicity of the region. AT Japanese the word "tsunami" consists of two hieroglyphs meaning a bay and a 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, tsunamis have always suffered. Ordinary island residents came up with their own names for the killer waves and believed that the gods of the seas punish people by sending destructive waves at them.

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

Tsunami: causes and consequences

Tsunamis are most often caused by earthquakes and underwater volcanic eruptions. The closer the epicenter of the earthquake is to the coast, the stronger the killer wave will be. The largest tsunamis in the world that were 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 do not leave a chance to survive for any of the living beings that are on their way.

If we consider the nature of this phenomenon, then briefly it can be explained as the simultaneous displacement a large number water masses. Eruptions or earthquakes raise ocean floor sometimes by several meters, which causes water to fluctuate 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 coast, 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 devastation left behind by the largest tsunamis in the world are terrible: thousands of human victims and hundreds of kilometers of land filled with debris and mud. In addition, there is a high probability of the spread of infectious diseases due to lack drinking water and rotting of the 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, world system tsunami warnings are still imperfect. At best, people learn about the danger a few minutes before the wave hits, so you need to know the signs of impending disaster and the rules for survival during a cataclysm.

If you are on the sea or ocean coast, then carefully follow the reports of earthquakes. A nearby tremor earth's crust magnitude of about seven on the Richter scale can serve as a warning of a possible tsunami strike. The approach of a killer wave gives out a sudden ebb - 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 incoming wave will be. Often such natural disasters animals anticipate: a few hours before the cataclysm, they whine, hide, try to go deep into the island or mainland.

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

If the wave still overtakes 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 takes away all the objects that have come across. Keep in mind that tsunamis almost never end in one wave. Most often, the first will be followed by a series of two or even three new ones.

So, when was the biggest tsunami in the world? And how much destruction did they bring?

This disaster does not fit any of the previously described incidents on sea ​​coast. To date, the Lituya Bay megatsunami has become the most gigantic and destructive in the world. Eminent luminaries in the field of oceanology and seismology are still arguing about the possibility of a repetition of such a nightmare.

Lituya Bay is located in Alaska and extends inland for eleven kilometers, 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 on July 9th. The power of the shocks exceeded eight points, which caused a huge landslide to descend into the waters of the bay. Scientists have calculated that in a few seconds thirty million cubic meters ice and stones. Parallel to the landslide, an under-ice lake sank thirty meters, from which the released water masses rushed into the bay.

A huge wave rushed to 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 ground. AT this moment this wave is the highest in the history of mankind. Surprising fact is that only five people died as a result of a 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, together with the crew, immediately sank, and the other was raised by a wave to its maximum height and carried out into the ocean.

2004 Indian Ocean avalanche

The tsunami in Thailand in 2004 shocked all people 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 on the Richter scale.

A thirty-meter wave swept at great speed throughout the Indian Ocean and circled it, stopping near Peru. Almost all island states, including India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Somalia, suffered from the tsunami.

After killing hundreds of thousands of people, the 2004 Thai tsunami 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 biggest tsunamis in the world" should include the wave that hit the Kuriles in the middle of the last century. An earthquake caused a twenty-meter wave in pacific ocean. The epicenter of the tremors of magnitude seven was located one hundred and thirty kilometers from the coast.

The first wave arrived in the city about an hour later, but most of the locals were in hiding on the high 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 2,000 people died as a result of the cataclysm.

Killer wave in Chile

In the second half of the last century, the inhabitants of Chile faced a terrifying tsunami, which 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 twenty-five-meter high wave covered Chile fifteen minutes after the first shocks. During the day, she covered several thousand kilometers, destroying the coast of Hawaii and Japan.

Despite the fact that humanity has been "familiar" with the tsunami for quite a long time, this a natural phenomenon is still under-researched. Scientists have not learned how to predict the appearance of killer waves, therefore, most likely, in the future the list of their victims will be replenished with new deaths.

Megatsunami in Lituya Bay, Alaska, USA - the most destructive wave in the world (its length is more than 500 meters). The disaster occurred in 1958 on July 9. It was the largest natural disaster ever known to science. A little later, scientists called the phenomenon “megatsunami”.

Causes of the disaster

A giant wave is caused by an earthquake of 8 points off the Alaska Peninsula. The tremors caused a huge landslide that threw a massive glacier and piles of rocks into the Gilbert Bay. They became main reason the emergence of a giant wave.

Consequences of the disaster

Large casualties were avoided: ten fishermen were killed and vegetation along the coast was destroyed. The recollections of eyewitnesses say that "the mountains trembled terribly, the stones rushed down rapidly, then suddenly they disappeared, and a giant wall of water appeared."

Presumably, similar tsunamis have occurred here before with an interval of several decades. The tsunamis that occurred were also enough high altitude, but the trail of their impact was finally eliminated by a natural disaster in 1958.

Next megatsunami

The megatsunami in Lituye was the first case for science when a giant wave was caused not only by an earthquake, but also by a landslide.

One of the strongest tsunamis was the aftermath of an earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004. It's a deadly, natural disaster in modern history. The devastating wave dealt a huge blow to Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Somalia. The capital of the Maldives, Male, was badly damaged during the tsunami. Parts of the city had to be rebuilt.

The number of deaths as a result natural disaster 235 thousand people are estimated.

It is sad that many of the victims are tourists who spent their holidays on the shores of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.