Biggest Tsunami in History:
While it’s difficult to provide an exact ranking due to issues in reporting and measuring techniques, here are some of the most significant tsunamis in history based on reported maximum wave heights:
1958 Lituya Bay Tsunami (Alaska): Caused by a landslide into Lituya Bay, Alaska, the tsunami had waves that reached an astounding height of approximately 1,720 feet (524 meters).
2011 Tohoku Tsunami (Japan): Triggered by a massive undersea earthquake, this tsunami’s waves reached heights of up to 133 feet (40.5 meters) in some areas along the Japanese coastline.
2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: While exact wave heights varied across affected regions, some areas experienced waves exceeding 100 feet (30 meters), particularly along the west coast of Sumatra.
1964 Alaska Tsunami: Resulting from a powerful earthquake in Alaska, the tsunami produced waves that reached approximately 67 meters (220 feet) in some locations.
1946 Aleutian Islands Tsunami: Following an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands, this tsunami produced waves up to 42 meters (138 feet) in the Hawaiian Islands.
2010 Maule Earthquake Tsunami (Chile): Triggered by a large earthquake off the coast of Chile, the tsunami caused waves with reported heights of up to 26 meters (85 feet).
1905 Kangra Earthquake Tsunami (India): A major earthquake in the Kangra region of India generated a tsunami with waves reaching heights of around 20 meters (66 feet).
2018 Palu Tsunami (Indonesia): Following a strong earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia, the tsunami waves reached heights of approximately 11 meters (36 feet).
1868 Arica Tsunami: Resulting from an earthquake off the coast of Peru, this tsunami caused waves that reached up to 9 meters (30 feet) along the Chilean coast and also affected Hawaii.
1946 Nankaido Tsunami (Japan): Triggered by an earthquake in Nankaido, Japan, this tsunami produced waves reaching heights of about 8.5 meters (28 feet) along the Japanese coast.
It’s important to note that these figures reflect reported or estimated maximum wave heights at specific locations and may not reflect the average heights across the entire affected area.
Additionally, advancements in technology and monitoring have improved our ability to measure and understand tsunami events in recent years.