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 coined 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 repression large quantity 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, there is a high probability of the spread of infectious diseases in the disaster area due to the 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, world system warnings about a possible approaching tsunami are still imperfect. IN best case scenario people learn about danger a few minutes before the wave hits, so it is necessary to know the signs of impending disaster 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 have calculated that thirty million fell into the water in a few seconds. cubic meters ice and stones. 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. 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 great 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 a natural phenomenon still remains poorly 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.

Giant waves are called "tsunamis". They are of enormous height and width, arising in the ocean under the influence of water (most often due to earthquakes). The word itself comes from the Japanese language, where it consists of two characters - “wave” and “bay”. It was Japan and other countries with access to the Pacific Ocean that became victims of rogue waves. The Pacific region witnessed a world wave that hit the coast of American Alaska.

Top 1. Tsunami in Lituya Bay, 1958

Lituya Bay is located in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska. The bay is separated from the ocean outlet by a strait about 500 meters wide. Lituya Bay is about 11 kilometers long and about 3 kilometers wide. In the center of the bay is the Cenotaph Island.

The disaster was provoked by the earthquake that took place on July 9, 1958. It caused a rockfall on the Gilbert Glacier northeast of the bay. About 30 million cubic meters of rock and ice fell into the eastern part of the bay from a height of about 900 meters. The tsunami caused by the rockfall hit both shores of the bay and Cenotaph Island. The La Gaussy spit, located near the epicenter of the wave, was washed away almost completely. The wave height was 524 meters. The tsunami uprooted most of the trees in the area.

Five people became victims of the huge wave. Two of them were caught by the tsunami on a fishing boat. The people who went out into the bay on two more ships on that fateful day miraculously survived and were picked up by rescuers.

Top 2. Indian Ocean, 2004

The 2004 tsunami went down in history as the deadliest - more than 230 thousand people became victims of nature's wrath. The giant wave began with an underwater earthquake of magnitude 9. The tsunami waves that hit the land reached a height of thirty meters.

Radar satellites recorded an underwater tsunami, whose height after the earthquake was about 60 centimeters. Unfortunately, these observations could not help prevent disaster because it took several hours to process the data.

Sea waves reached the coast different countries at different times. The first shock immediately after the earthquake hit the north of the island of Sumatra. The tsunami reached Sri Lanka and India only an hour and a half later. Two hours later, the waves hit the shores of Thailand.

Tsunami waves led to casualties in the countries of East Africa: Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania. Sixteen hours later, the waves reached the town of Struisbaa on the coast of South Africa. A little later, tidal waves up to a meter high were recorded in the area of ​​a Japanese research station in Antarctica.

Part of the tsunami energy escaped into the Pacific Ocean, where tidal waves were recorded on the coasts of Canada, British Columbia, and Mexico. In some places their height reached 2 and a half meters, which exceeded the waves recorded off the coast of some countries located closer to the epicenter.

Those most affected by the tsunami were:

• Indonesia. Three waves hit the northern part of the island of Sumatra less than half an hour after the earthquake. According to survivors, the waves were higher than the houses.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands (India), where more than 4 thousand people died.
• Sri Lanka. The waves reached a height of 12 meters. The Queen of the Sea passenger train became a victim of the tsunami. His death became the largest train accident modern history and claimed more than 1,700 lives.
• Thailand. Waves, the height of which was second only to those that hit Sumatra, destroyed the southwestern coast of the country. There were many tourists from other countries at the scene of the tragedy. More than three thousand people died and another five thousand were missing.

Top 3. Japan, 2011

In March 2011, an underwater earthquake occurred in the ocean east of the island of Honshu. It triggered a tsunami wave that devastated the coast of Honshu and other islands of the archipelago. The waves reached the opposite shore Pacific Ocean. Evacuations were announced in coastal areas of South American countries, but the waves did not pose a major threat.

The waves reached the islands of the Kuril chain. The Ministry of Emergency Situations evacuated several thousand Russian citizens from the coastal areas of the islands. Waves up to three meters high were recorded near the village of Malokurilskoye.

The first waves of the tsunami hit the Japanese archipelago within half an hour of completion. Highest height was witnessed near the city of Miyako (northern Honshu) - 40 meters. The coast took the heaviest blows within an hour after the earthquake.

The tsunami damaged three Japanese prefectures in Honshu. The cataclysm also provoked an accident at a nuclear power plant. The city of Rikuzentakata was actually washed away into the ocean - almost all the buildings went under water. The 2011 tragedy claimed the lives of more than 15 thousand residents of the Japanese archipelago.

Perhaps the sparsely populated state of Alaska was the reason why the largest wave in the world did not lead to mass casualties. Nowadays, the system for monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis has been improved, which makes it possible to reduce the number of victims during disasters. But coastal communities remain at risk from the ocean's unpredictable behavior.

When I read about the wave height caused by the tsunami in 1958, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I checked it once, twice. It's the same everywhere. No, they probably made a mistake with the comma, and everyone is copying each other. Or maybe in units of measurement?
Well, how could it be otherwise, do you think there could be a wave from a tsunami 524 meters high? HALF A KILOMETER!
Now we will find out what really happened there...

Here's what an eyewitness writes:

“After the first shock, I fell out of bed and looked towards the beginning of the bay, where the noise was coming from. The mountains trembled terribly, stones and avalanches rushed down. And the glacier in the north was especially striking; it is called the Lituya glacier. Usually, it is not visible from where I was anchored. People shake their heads when I tell them that I saw him that night. I can't help it if they don't believe me. I know that the glacier is not visible from where I was anchored in Anchorage Bay, but I also know that I saw it that night. The glacier rose into the air and moved forward until it became visible. He must have risen several hundred feet. I'm not saying it was just hanging in the air. But he was shaking and jumping like crazy. Large pieces of ice fell from its surface into the water. The glacier was six miles away, and I saw large chunks falling off it like a huge dump truck. This continued for some time - it is difficult to say how long - and then suddenly the glacier disappeared from view and a large wall of water rose above this place. The wave went in our direction, after which I was too busy to say what else was happening there.”

On July 9, 1958, an unusually severe disaster occurred in Lituya Bay in southeastern Alaska. In this bay, which extends more than 11 km into the land, geologist D. Miller discovered a difference in the age of trees on the hillside surrounding the bay. Based on tree rings, he estimated that over the past 100 years, waves with a maximum height of several hundred meters have occurred in the bay at least four times. Miller's conclusions were viewed with great distrust. And so, on July 9, 1958, a strong earthquake occurred on the Fairweather fault north of the bay, causing the destruction of buildings, the collapse of the coast, and the formation of numerous cracks. And a huge landslide on the mountainside above the bay caused a wave of record height (524 m), which swept through the narrow, fjord-like bay at a speed of 160 km/h.

Lituya is a fjord located on the Fairweather fault in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It is a T-shaped bay 14 kilometers long and up to three kilometers wide. The maximum depth is 220 m. The narrow entrance to the bay is only 10 m deep. Two glaciers descend into Lituya Bay, each of which is about 19 km long and up to 1.6 km wide. During the century preceding the events described, waves over 50 meters high had already been observed in Lituya several times: in 1854, 1899 and 1936.

The 1958 earthquake caused a subaerial rockfall at the mouth of the Gilbert Glacier in Lituya Bay. As a result of this landslide, more than 30 million cubic meters rocks collapsed into the bay and led to the formation of a megatsunami. This disaster killed 5 people: three on Hantaak Island and two more were washed away by a wave in the bay. In Yakutat, the only permanent locality near the epicenter, infrastructure facilities were damaged: bridges, docks and oil pipelines.

After the earthquake, a study was carried out of a subglacial lake located northwest of the bend of the Lituya Glacier at the very beginning of the bay. It turned out that the lake dropped by 30 meters. This fact served as the basis for another hypothesis of the formation of a giant wave more than 500 meters high. Probably, during the glacier's descent, a large volume of water entered the bay through an ice tunnel under the glacier. However, the runoff of water from the lake could not be the main cause of the megatsunami.

A huge mass of ice, stones and earth (volume of about 300 million cubic meters) rushed down from the glacier, exposing the mountain slopes. The earthquake destroyed numerous buildings, cracks appeared in the ground, and the coastline slid. The moving mass fell on the northern part of the bay, filled it up, and then crawled onto the opposite slope of the mountain, tearing off the forest cover from it to a height of more than three hundred meters. The landslide generated a giant wave that literally swept Lituya Bay towards the ocean. The wave was so great that it swept entirely over the entire sandbank at the mouth of the bay.

Eyewitnesses to the disaster were people on board the ships that dropped anchor in the bay. The terrible shock threw them all out of their beds. Jumping to their feet, they could not believe their eyes: the sea rose. “Giant landslides, raising clouds of dust and snow in their path, began to run along the slopes of the mountains. Soon their attention was attracted by an absolutely fantastic sight: the mass of ice of the Lituya glacier, located far to the north and usually hidden from view by the peak that rises at the entrance to the bay, seemed to rise above the mountains and then majestically collapsed into the waters of the inner bay. It all seemed like some kind of nightmare. Before the eyes of the shocked people, a huge wave rose up and swallowed the foot of the northern mountain. After that, she swept across the bay, tearing trees off the mountain slopes; falling like a water mountain onto the island of Cenotaph... rolled over the highest point of the island, rising 50 m above sea level. This entire mass suddenly plunged into the waters of the narrow bay, causing a huge wave, the height of which apparently reached 17-35 m. Its energy was so great that the wave rushed furiously across the bay, sweeping the slopes of the mountains. In the inner basin, the impact of the waves on the shore was probably very strong. The slopes of the northern mountains facing the bay were bare: where there had once been dense forest there were now bare rocks; This pattern was observed at altitudes of up to 600 meters.

One longboat was lifted high, easily carried across the sandbar and dropped into the ocean. At that moment, when the longboat was carried over the sandbank, the fishermen on it saw standing trees beneath them. The wave literally threw people across the island into the open sea. During a nightmare ride on a giant wave, the boat pounded against trees and debris. The longboat sank, but the fishermen miraculously survived and were rescued two hours later. Of the other two longboats, one safely withstood the wave, but the other sank, and the people on it went missing.

Miller found that the trees growing at the upper edge of the exposed area, just below 600 m above the bay, were bent and broken, their fallen trunks pointing towards the top of the mountain, but the roots were not torn from the soil. Something pushed these trees up. The enormous force that accomplished this could not have been anything other than the top of a gigantic wave that swept over the mountain on that July evening in 1958.”

Mr. Howard J. Ulrich, in his yacht, which is called "Edri", entered the waters of Lituya Bay about eight in the evening and anchored in nine meters of water in a small cove on the southern shore. Howard says that suddenly the yacht began to rock violently. He ran out onto the deck and saw how in the northeastern part of the bay the rocks began to move due to the earthquake and a huge block of rock began to fall into the water. About two and a half minutes after the earthquake, he heard a deafening sound from the destruction of rock.

“We definitely saw that the wave came from Gilbert Bay, just before the earthquake ended. But at first it was not a wave. At first it was more like an explosion, as if the glacier was splitting into pieces. The wave grew from the surface of the water, at first it was almost invisible, who would have thought that then the water would rise to a height of half a kilometer.”

Ulrich said that he observed the entire process of development of the wave, which reached their yacht in a very short time - something like two and a half to three minutes from the time it could first be noticed. “Since we didn’t want to lose the anchor, we pulled out the entire anchor chain (about 72 meters) and started the engine. Halfway between the northeastern edge of Lituya Bay and Cenotaf Island, a thirty-meter-high wall of water could be seen that stretched from one shore to the other. When the wave approached the northern part of the island, it split into two parts, but after passing the southern part of the island, the wave became one again. It was smooth, only there was a small ridge on top. When this mountain of water approached our yacht, its front was quite steep and its height was from 15 to 20 meters. Before the wave arrived at the place where our yacht was located, we did not feel any drop in the water or other changes, with the exception of a slight vibration that was transmitted through the water from the tectonic processes that began to operate during the earthquake. As soon as the wave approached us and began to lift our yacht, the anchor chain began to crack loudly. The yacht was carried towards the southern shore and then, on the reverse course of the wave, towards the center of the bay. The top of the wave was not very wide, from 7 to 15 meters, and the trailing front was less steep than the leading one.

As the giant wave swept past us, the surface of the water returned to its normal level, but we could see a lot of turbulence around the yacht, as well as random waves six meters high that moved from one side of the bay to the other. These waves did not create any noticeable movement of water from the mouth of the bay to its northeastern part and back.”

After 25-30 minutes the surface of the bay calmed down. Near the banks one could see many logs, branches and uprooted trees. All this rubbish slowly drifted towards the center of Lituya Bay and towards its mouth. In fact, during the entire incident, Ulrich did not lose control of the yacht. When the Edri approached the entrance to the bay at 11 pm, a normal current could be observed there, which is usually caused by the daily ebb of ocean water.

Other eyewitnesses to the disaster, the Swenson couple on a yacht called the Badger, entered Lituya Bay around nine in the evening. First, their ship approached Cenotaf Island, and then returned to Anchorage Bay on the northern shore of the bay, not far from its mouth (see map). The Svensons anchored at a depth of about seven meters and went to bed. William Swanson's sleep was interrupted by strong vibrations from the yacht's hull. He ran to the control room and began to time what was happening. A little over a minute after William first felt the vibration, and probably just before the end of the earthquake, he looked towards the northeastern part of the bay, which was visible against the backdrop of Cenotaph Island. The traveler saw something that he initially mistook for the Lituya glacier, which rose into the air and began to move towards the observer. “It seemed like this mass was solid, but it jumped and swayed. Large pieces of ice were constantly falling into the water in front of this block.” After a short time, “the glacier disappeared from sight, and instead of it a large wave appeared in that place and went in the direction of the La Gaussi spit, just where our yacht was anchored.” In addition, Svenson noticed that the wave flooded the shore at a very noticeable height.

When the wave passed Cenotaf Island, its height was about 15 meters in the center of the bay and gradually decreased near the shores. She passed the island approximately two and a half minutes after she was first seen, and reached the yacht Badger another eleven and a half minutes (approximately). Before the wave arrived, William, like Howard Ulrich, did not notice any drop in water level or any turbulent phenomena.

The yacht "Badger", which was still at anchor, was lifted by a wave and carried towards the La Gaussie spit. The stern of the yacht was below the crest of the wave, so that the position of the vessel resembled a surfboard. Svenson looked at that moment at the place where the trees growing on the La Gaussy spit should have been visible. At that moment they were hidden by water. William noted that above the tops of the trees there was a layer of water equal to approximately two times the length of his yacht, about 25 meters. Having passed the La Gaussi spit, the wave subsided very quickly.

In the place where Swenson's yacht was moored, the water level began to drop, and the ship hit the bottom of the bay, remaining afloat not far from the shore. 3-4 minutes after the impact, Swenson saw that water continued to flow over the La Gaussie Spit, carrying logs and other debris from forest vegetation. He wasn't sure it wasn't a second wave that could have carried the yacht across the spit into the Gulf of Alaska. Therefore, the Swenson couple left their yacht, moving onto a small boat, from which they were picked up by a fishing boat a couple of hours later.

There was a third vessel in Lituya Bay at the time of the incident. It was anchored at the entrance to the bay and was sunk by a huge wave. None of the people on board survived; two were believed to have died.

What happened on July 9, 1958? That evening, a huge rock fell into the water from a steep cliff overlooking the northeastern shore of Gilbert Bay. The collapse area is marked in red on the map. The impact of an incredible mass of stones from a very high altitude caused an unprecedented tsunami, which wiped out from the face of the earth all life that was located along the entire coast of Lituya Bay right up to the La Gaussi spit. After the wave passed along both shores of the bay, there was not only no vegetation left, but even no soil; there was bare rock on the surface of the shore. The damaged area is shown in yellow on the map.

The numbers along the shore of the bay indicate the height above sea level of the edge of the damaged land area and approximately correspond to the height of the wave that passed here.

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 are caused by 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. 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 suffered 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.

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, similar pictures for last years a lot 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 whom were children.

An earthquake of magnitude 8.1 caused the most big tsunami in the world. 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 an 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. Reliable information about what was the true damage caused environment, still no. 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 submitted 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. 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.

Ocean, sand, beach, cocktail, sun lounger and waves 30 meters high. Yes, it's all in one place, but, fortunately, at different times. How can this be? We head to the town of Nazare on the west coast of Portugal. It is here, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, that you can see both a relaxed beach holiday and the biggest waves in the world.

This landmark of Portugal is located between the capital Lisbon and the city of Porto.

In summer, the small resort town of Nazaré, with a population of about 15,000 people, is the country's classic tourist destination. Its long sandy beaches are occupied by tourists from all over the planet. They bask in the gentle sun and swim in the Atlantic Ocean. In general, an ordinary relaxing holiday.

In winter, everything changes dramatically. Beach tourists are replaced by extreme sports enthusiasts and lovers of unusual natural phenomena. During this period, one can observe the formation of giant waves that hit the coast almost at arm's length. This phenomenon, incredible in its power and amazing in its beauty, attracts both travelers and the most desperate surfers.

Who produces the biggest waves on the planet

Let us remind you once again that almost everything amazing, beautiful, sometimes frightening, but fascinating on our planet is produced by nature. In this case, the creator of the giant waves was the atypical topography of the ocean floor near the city of Nazaré, in particular the underwater Northern Canyon of Nazaré. This depression in the bottom surface reaches almost to the very shore, forming a kind of springboard for ocean waves.

It should be noted that the Nazare Canyon is recognized as the deepest in Europe and one of the deepest in the world. It is located not parallel to the coast, but perpendicular. Its length is 227 km, and its depth reaches 5 kilometers (this is almost half the depth of the Mariana Trench). As you approach the coast, the depth decreases sharply, creating a barrier in the path of the wave and increasing its height many times over. Conditions arise under which colossal masses of water must jump over this obstacle. Don't forget, all this happens in close proximity to tourists.

In the pictures below you can see the geological reasons for the appearance of huge waves.

But that is not all. The bottom topography alone is not enough to produce the highest waves. This requires a combination of many factors.

Hell of a cocktail for the biggest waves

The presence of the canyon creates special conditions for the creation of large waves. It splits the wave into two parts. One part increases its speed while passing through the canyon, and the second reunites with the first at the exit of the canyon into one large wave.

Opposing ocean current coming from the beach can add a few more meters.

For the birth of a giant wave, the wave period is important, which should be about 14 seconds. The wind, oddly enough, should be weak. The direction of the wave is very important; ideally it should come from the west or northwest. Added to these factors are storms in the northern part of the Atlantic that occur during the fall and winter. The combination of these factors can increase the average ocean wave several times.

How often do big waves appear?

Looking at the photos on the Internet, as well as on our website, you might think that giant waves in Nazar are formed almost every minute. But that's not true. A little higher, you learned how many combined phenomena are required to produce a huge wave. This doesn't happen that often.

The Big Waves season in Nazaré occurs from October to February. During these months there are usually between 1 and 6 giant waves and tens or hundreds of much smaller waves. If you want to see a truly huge wave, then plan to spend at least 2 weeks here, or keep an eye on the forecasts on surfing websites. For a large wave, the forecast should indicate a wave size of more than 3 meters, a wave period of more than 13 seconds and a slight northerly wind.

If you are already there, check the sea conditions in real time through the online forecast and webcams. But, even if all forecasts indicate ideal conditions for the occurrence of large waves, then everything can change in just an hour and ruin a day with a favorable forecast.

But in Peru you can see the longest sea waves in the world. They are much safer than the waves in Nazaré, and you can ride them for up to several minutes at a time, traveling hundreds of meters on the crest of one wave

The story of conquering the giant waves of Nazaré

There are people in the world who “don’t feed them honey,” just let them conquer the biggest waves. They are usually called surfers. They, probably, with the advent of boards, began to collect the best places on the planet for their hobby. They did not ignore the waves near the city of Nazaré. Surfers were first noticed here back in the 60s of the last century. Since then they have been frequent guests here. But there is no data on conquering huge waves. Only in November 2011 did the world learn about the taking of the largest wave. Then Gareth McNamara, a surfer from Hawaii, conquered a wave 24 meters high. The brave comrade did not calm down and in January 2013 he broke his own record, taking on a 30-meter wave.

Gareth was the first to describe the sensations of such adventures. This proved incredibly difficult due to the unpredictability of wave behavior.

In this event, McNamara involved three assistants and one wife (his own). At the moment of wave formation, the first assistant on a jet ski tries to drag the surfer as high as possible onto the crest, and stays close to him for safety net. Look at the photo of these waves, and you will understand that it is impossible to swim to them under your own power.

The second assistant runs a little further away and insures both of them. The third one keeps an eye on everyone else. And from the shore, a gray-haired wife watches everything and gives instructions to her husband on how best to catch the wave.

The first time everything went fine and no help was needed, but the second time proved the effectiveness of triple insurance. Then the first assistant was washed away from the jet ski by a wave, and the second assistant pulled out the surfer, and the third one pulled out the first one.

The danger of such adventures is extremely high, so surfers try not to climb waves 30 meters high unless absolutely necessary. They do it just for the records.

In October 2013, Brazilian surfer Carlos Berl rode a wave that was even bigger. But there is no absolutely accurate data on the height of the waves conquered, since it is quite problematic to take measurements.

Annual surf meeting in Nazaré

Despite the danger of such large waves, since 2016 a meeting or competition of surfers, the Nazare Challenge - WSL Big Wave Tour, managed by the World Surf League, has been taking place in Nazar. This competition brings together the best surfers from all over the world and lasts only one day. Moreover, it does not have a fixed date. It all depends on forecast sea conditions. The period of holding, or better to say waiting, is from October 15 to February 28. The day of the competition is confirmed 3 days before it takes place. This is the best that can be achieved with modern technology forecasting sea conditions and wind.

This is a significant event for surfers. This is how one of the participants describes it:
“What followed after the starting signal was a dizzying, wild and unprecedented display of courage, stupidity and skill.”

Where is the best place to watch the biggest waves?

The best way to watch the giant wave is to stand on its crest on a surfboard. Any surfer will say that. Well, for ordinary tourists it is best to do this from Cape Nazaré, on which the lighthouse is located. Since the place is very interesting, you are unlikely to get lost. Fort San Miguel Arcanjo is also located here. You can also walk down to the sand on the beach via a dirt road, but be very careful. During the Big Wave season this is very dangerous.

Nowadays, in addition to the big waves, the attraction of Nazaré is the surfers who “ride” them. This, by the way, gives a good idea of ​​the size of the waves. When you see a little man running away from a huge multi-ton wave, you can imagine how big and powerful not only the Russian language is, but also the Atlantic Ocean.

1. As a rule, many famous surf spots have bottom topography similar to that near Nazaré, but on a smaller scale. The most famous are Teahupoo in Tahiti, Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii and Maverick’s Beach off the coast of California.
2. Local fishermen have long been afraid of this place. Several shipwrecks have occurred here. At the bottom of the canyon there is a sunken German submarine from World War II.