The largest tsunami in human history
Karrat Fjord, Greenland (295 Feet):
In 2017, Greenland experienced one of the biggest waves on record. A landslide on Karrat Fjord sent a 295-foot-tall wall of water into the fishing village of Nuugaatsiaq. The megatsunami killed four people and swept 11 buildings into the ocean. Experts believe the event was triggered by a warming climate thawing the glacial landscape, and the mountains surrounding Karrat Fjord remain unstable1.
Ambon Island, Indonesia (328 Feet):
The first megatsunami documented in detail in Indonesia occurred on February 17, 1674. An earthquake struck the Maluku Islands in the Banda Sea, sending a massive wave crashing into Ambon Island. It killed more than 2000 people, and the water reached the top of the coastal hills on the Hitu Peninsula, indicating the tsunami peaked around 328 feet1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (394 Feet):
Lituya Bay, located in Alaska, witnessed a megatsunami likely caused by a landslide. Tree ring counts suggest it occurred in late 1853 or early 1854, with a maximum height of 394 feet. Lituya Bay’s steep walls and proximity to the Fairweather fault line make it prone to destructive waves1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (490 Feet):
Lituya Bay experienced its second-largest tsunami on record on October 27, 1936. Eyewitnesses described three giant waves rolling in from Crillon Inlet at speeds around 22 mph, with the largest wave reaching approximately 490 feet. The cause of this 1936 tsunami remains uncertain, but an underwater rockslide is a possible culprit1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (1720 Feet):
On July 9, 1958, Alaska’s Lituya Bay faced the largest megatsunami ever recorded. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Fairweather fault, dislodging 90 million tons of rock into the bay. The resulting wall of water reached nearly 1720 feet, surpassing the height of the Willis Tower in Chicago
Karrat Fjord, Greenland (295 Feet):
In 2017, Greenland experienced one of the biggest waves on record. A landslide on Karrat Fjord sent a 295-foot-tall wall of water into the fishing village of Nuugaatsiaq. The megatsunami killed four people and swept 11 buildings into the ocean. Experts believe the event was triggered by a warming climate thawing the glacial landscape, and the mountains surrounding Karrat Fjord remain unstable1.
Ambon Island, Indonesia (328 Feet):
The first megatsunami documented in detail in Indonesia occurred on February 17, 1674. An earthquake struck the Maluku Islands in the Banda Sea, sending a massive wave crashing into Ambon Island. It killed more than 2000 people, and the water reached the top of the coastal hills on the Hitu Peninsula, indicating the tsunami peaked around 328 feet1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (394 Feet):
Lituya Bay, located in Alaska, witnessed a megatsunami likely caused by a landslide. Tree ring counts suggest it occurred in late 1853 or early 1854, with a maximum height of 394 feet. Lituya Bay’s steep walls and proximity to the Fairweather fault line make it prone to destructive waves1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (490 Feet):
Lituya Bay experienced its second-largest tsunami on record on October 27, 1936. Eyewitnesses described three giant waves rolling in from Crillon Inlet at speeds around 22 mph, with the largest wave reaching approximately 490 feet. The cause of this 1936 tsunami remains uncertain, but an underwater rockslide is a possible culprit1.
Lituya Bay, Alaska (1720 Feet):
On July 9, 1958, Alaska’s Lituya Bay faced the largest megatsunami ever recorded. A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Fairweather fault, dislodging 90 million tons of rock into the bay. The resulting wall of water reached nearly 1720 feet, surpassing the height of the Willis Tower in Chicago
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