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Lisbon, Portugal
This earthquake evolved into a M 9 quake. It killed about 20,000 people. The height in the waves were about 23 feet high. The higher ground areas of Lisbon which which escaped the torrents of water were ravaged by fire. The devastation caused many Portuguese to question their religious beliefs and the horrific event has shaped Lisbon's history ever since. -
Volcano Collapse
The collapse happened in Indonesia. The 116 feet high waves killed less than 36,000 people. This eruption was caused by high pressure buildup in the two underlying tectonic plates. The island that blew up was called Krakatoa. No other volcanic eruptions has happened since. -
Aleutians Island, Alaska/ Islands of Hawaii
During this tragedy, an earthquake of M 8.6 had occurred and already killed 165 people before the tsunami hit. The tsunami wave had a surface wave M of 7.8. At least 160 people were killed. One of the structures affected by the tsunami was the newly built Scotch Cap Lighthouse on Unimak Island, Alaska -
Valdivia, Chile
This is one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. It had a M of 9+. It Killed at least 61 people in Hawaii. The quake only lasted approximately 10 minutes. The tsunami hit Hawaii about 14.8 hours after it hit the Coastline on Chile. -
Shout Bay, Alaska
This Alaskan earthquake hit a M of 8.3. At least 130 people were killed in Alaska and California. This quake also hit on Good Friday on March 27th. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulted from the earthquake. The total damage costed was (1964) $311 million USD. -
Okushiri Island, Japan
This earthquake occurred in the Sea of Japan with a M of 7.8. It had produced one of the largest recorded tsunamis in Japan history. Within 2-5 minutes the Okushiri coastline was engulfed in the waters. It killed 120 people on the island. It was estimated that $200 million was used for repair and rebuild. -
Submarine Landslide in New Guinea
As an M of 7.1 earthquake hit New Guinea, 3 massive tsunamis followed it. It had killed more than 2100 people that day. It was a normal evening when people heard and noticed a change with the ocean. Once they noticed what was happening it was too late. The tsunami had a confirmed run up height of 15 meters high. -
Sumatran, Indonesia (Indian Ocean)
It was an undersea megathrust earthquake that registered a magnitude of 9.1. This massive quake killed more than 230,000 people. Apparently the tsunami wave was 100 ft. The Sumatra earthquake is estimated to have released energy equivalent to 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. -
Samoa
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck midway between Samoa and American Samoa. The earthquake generated tsunami waves of up to 22 meters (72 feet) that engulfed the shores. It had killed about 200 people that day. The devastation extended beyond human casualties with houses destroyed, cars swept out to sea and some villages being virtually annihilated. With over $200 million dollars in damages, the islands were ravaged both physically and economically. -
Chile Coastline
This tsunami happened off the coastline of Maule, Chile. Having a magnitude of 8.8, with intense shaking lasting for nearly four minutes.The 2010 Chile earthquake ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a seismograph. It is responsible for killing about 700 people in coastal towns. -
Japan
A 9.1 magnitude earthquake takes place northeast of Tokyo. The earthquake causes a tsunami with 30 foot waves that damage several nuclear reactors in the area. It is the largest earthquake ever to hit Japan. It had killed more than 20,000 people.
