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10 worst tsunamis in history 1. Sumatra, Indonesia – 26 December 2004. The 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra was estimated to occur at a depth of 30 km. The fault zone that caused the tsunami was roughly 1300 km long, vertically displacing the sea floor by several metres along that length.
(Related story: 10 most destructive tsunamis in history) Tsunamis: How they form. Underwater volcanoes erupting, icebergs calving and in rare instances meteorites hitting the ocean have all produced the giant waves in the past. But very large underwater earthquakes are responsible for about three-quarters of all tsunamis.
Tsunamis are essentially a series of waves in the ocean. Where regular waves are caused by wind, tsunamis are caused by the large-scale vertical displacement of the water column. SEE ALSO: The 10 most destructive tsunamis in history. Events that can generate tsunamis include submarine landslides, submarine volcanoes, and asteroid impacts.
It was on this day in 2004 that an earthquake under the Indian Ocean generated a series of tsunamis that is thought to have killed upto 230,000 people. Governments have worked hard since at developing better tsunami detection and evacuation plans for the Indian Ocean. But, tsunamis are still highly unpredictable beasts.
Mt. Tambora is the deadliest eruption in recent human history, claiming the lives of up to 120,000 people. On 10 April 1815, Tambora erupted sending volcanic ash 40km into the sky. It was the most powerful eruption in 500 years. Upon entering the ocean, the force of the pyroclastic flow caused the creation of a series of towering tsunamis.
Six big Tsunamis have hit Sydney in past 10,000 years – and could again. DR TED BRYANT, A tsunami expert who recently retired from the University of Wollongong, has gathered evidence that monumental tsunamis have pummelled the east coast throughout history – and could do so again.
The worst tsunami in recorded history was the December 26, 2004 one that killed about 230,000 people. It was generated by a magnitude 9.3 earthquake off the north-western coast of Indonesia. The earthquake comes just over two weeks after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated Christchurch in New Zealand. RELATED STORIES
Predicting tsunamis is a complex task, but scientists’ efforts in improving warning times are saving lives. IN 2004, A MAGNITUDE 9.1 earthquake off the coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia, generated the worst tsunami in recorded history.
On this day in history: 2004 Boxing Day tsunami In 2004 the Boxing Day tsunami took hundreds of thousands of lives. Today, Australia spearheads a warning system for the Indian Ocean.
Warning messages about tsunamis can come from several sources. Natural warnings include feeling a strong earthquake, seeing a sudden rise or fall in sea level, or hearing a loud and unusual noise from the sea. In many cases this means a tsunami could arrive in minutes and it is important to act quickly and not wait for an official warning.