Tidal Waves, or "Tsunamis", are created when a large mass of earth on the bottom of the ocean floor drops or rises, displacing a column of water above it. This movement on the ocean floor can be caused by earthquakes, underwater landslides or impact collisions from space. Below is a list of some of the largest Tidal Waves ever recorded.

Notable Tidal Waves

Year of
Tidal Wave
Location of
Destruction
Height in meters of
the Tidal Wave
1933
Kaalualu, Hawaii
303
1936
Lituya Bay, Alaska
150
1944
Nachi River, Japan
200
1964
Valdez Inlet, Alaska
70
1979
Lomblen Is., Indonesia
120
1993
Okushiri Is., Japan
30
1994
S. Dimitrova Bay, Kuril Is.
10.4
2004
N. Sumatra, Indonesia
10*

Sources: National Geophysical Data Center Boulder, Colorado USA
2004 News Stories

* in Sri Lanka


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