Tsunami is one of the most terrifying natural phenomena. It is a wave formed as a result of “shaking” of the entire thickness of water in the ocean. Tsunamis are most often caused by underwater earthquakes.

Approaching the shore, the tsunami grows into a huge shaft tens of meters high and hits the shore with millions of tons of water. The largest tsunami in the world caused colossal destruction and led to the death of millions of people.

Krakatoa, 1883

This tsunami was not caused by an earthquake or landslide. The explosion of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia generated a powerful wave that swept along the entire coast of the Indian Ocean.

Residents of fishing villages within a radius of about 500 km from the volcano had virtually no chance of survival. Victims were observed even in South Africa, on the opposite shore of the ocean. In total, 36.5 thousand people are considered dead from the tsunami itself.

Kuril Islands, 1952

The tsunami, triggered by a magnitude 7 earthquake, destroyed the city of Severo-Kurilsk and several fishing villages. Then the residents had no idea about the tsunami and after the earthquake stopped they returned to their homes, becoming victims of a 20-meter water shaft. Many were caught up in the second and third waves because they did not know that a tsunami is a series of waves. About 2,300 people died. The authorities of the Soviet Union decided not to report the tragedy in the media, so the disaster became known only decades later.

The city of Severo-Kurilsk was subsequently moved to a higher place. And the tragedy became the reason for the organization of a tsunami warning system in the USSR and more active scientific research in seismology and oceanology.

Lituya Bay, 1958

An earthquake with a magnitude of more than 8 provoked a huge landslide with a volume of more than 300 million cubic meters, consisting of stones and ice from two glaciers. To these were added the waters of the lake, the shore of which collapsed into the bay.

As a result, a gigantic wave was formed, reaching a height of 524 m! It swept across the bay, licking the vegetation and soil on the slopes of the bay like a tongue, completely destroying the spit that separated it from Gilbert Bay. This is the highest tsunami wave in history. The banks of Lituya were not inhabited, so only 5 fishermen became victims.

Chile, 1960

On May 22, the consequences of the Great Chilean Earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 were a volcanic eruption and a tsunami 25 m high. Almost 6 thousand people died.

But the rogue wave did not calm down there. With speed jet plane it crossed the Pacific Ocean, killing 61 people in Hawaii, and reached the shores of Japan. Another 142 people became victims of the tsunami, which occurred at a distance of more than 10 thousand km. After this, it was decided to warn about the danger of a tsunami even in the most remote areas of the coast that may be in the path of a deadly wave.

Philippines, 1976

The powerful earthquake caused a wave, the height of which seems to be unimpressive - 4.5 m. Unfortunately, the tsunami hit the low-lying coast for more than 400 miles. But the residents were not prepared for such a threat. The result is more than 5 thousand dead and about 2.5 thousand missing without a trace. Almost 100 thousand residents of the Philippines were left homeless, and many villages along coastline were simply completely washed away along with the residents.

Papua New Guinea, 1998

The consequence of the earthquake on July 17 was a gigantic underwater landslide, which caused a 15-meter wave. And so the poor country suffered several natural disasters, more than 2,500 people died or went missing. And more than 10 thousand residents lost their homes and livelihoods. The tragedy became the impetus for studying the role of underwater landslides in causing tsunamis.

Indian Ocean, 2004

December 26, 2004 is forever inscribed in blood in the history of Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and other countries on the Indian Ocean coast. On this day, the tsunami claimed the lives of about 280 thousand people, and according to unofficial data - up to 655 thousand.

The underwater earthquake caused waves 30 m high that hit coastal areas within 15 minutes. The large number of deaths is due to several reasons. This is a high degree of population of the coast, lowland areas, a large number of tourists on the beaches. But main reason– lack of an established tsunami warning system and poor awareness of people about safety measures.

Japan, 2011

The height of the wave resulting from the magnitude 9 earthquake reached 40 m. The whole world watched in horror the footage of the tsunami destroying coastal buildings, by sea vessels, cars...

A wave 300 meters high literally washed away one of the Cape Verde islands - Santiago Island, located in Atlantic Ocean approximately 620 kilometers off the west coast of Africa. This happened a very long time ago - 73 thousand years ago. But the traces are still preserved. They were found by scientists from the UK, USA, Portugal and Japan, as reported in the scientific journal Science Advances. According to the head of the research group, Ricardo Ramalho from the Columbia University Observatory, the monstrous wave shot up as a result of a volcanic eruption on the island of Fogo, located 55 kilometers from the island of Santiago. Part of the crater wall collapsed into the ocean - a block with a volume of several cubic kilometers fell into the water. The resulting water shaft reached almost 300 m in height - more precisely, 266 m. And rolled across the ocean. And the piece that fell off sank to the bottom - it is still there.

Scientists determined the height of the wave by finding traces of sea ​​water, sea sand and giant boulders - 49 pieces weighing from 50 to 200 tons. These blocks, thrown into the mountains, testify to the monstrous power of the wave.

Scientists warn that a kilometer-high wave - the so-called megatsunami - may rise in the Atlantic Ocean. It can be created by rocky rock that collapses into the water as a result of volcanic eruptions in Canary Islands. The most dangerous in this sense are the active vents of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on the island of La Palma. According to calculations by Simon Day from University College London, the wave will reach the west coast of Africa within an hour. And spreading in the opposite direction, it will pour into America. Off the coast of Africa, the wave height will be 100 m, off the coast of the USA - 50 m.

By the way, megatsunamis have formed in our time. In 1958, as a result of an earthquake in Alaska, a glacier weighing 90 million tons came down from the mountain and fell into the water. The collapse created a wave 525 m high in Lituya Bay - just below the Ostankino TV tower, which is 540 m high. This wave was the highest of all officially recorded.

SAVE YOURSELF WHO CAN!

A rogue wave in the Mediterranean could affect 130 million people.

It would seem that people vacationing at the resorts of the Mediterranean - essentially inland - sea have nothing to fear. As well as local residents inhabiting coastal areas. Unless a storm blows up sometimes. So it’s not scary - it’s even beautiful. It won't wash away. You can serenely sip a mojito while continuing to admire the turquoise waves...

The ocean is a different matter - tsunamis of destructive force occur there. In 2004, huge waves hit Indonesia and Thailand, and in 2011, Japan. However, as Italian scientists have found, walls of water can also rise in the Mediterranean.

Modeling carried out by Dr. Achilles Samaras from the University of Bologna demonstrated that earthquakes of magnitude 7-8 that occurred in Sicily and the island of Crete will definitely cause a tsunami. The waves will travel throughout the sea at a speed of about 600 kilometers per hour. Their height near the coast will reach 20 meters. This will allow water in some places to penetrate several kilometers deep into the coast. That is, the danger of being washed away from the beach really exists. Estimates show that 130 million people in coastal areas could be affected.

Scientists claim that tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea occur approximately once every hundred years. They hint that the time for another cataclysm is approaching. After all, the previous one happened in 1908. Then an earthquake in Sicily generated waves that killed thousands of people in the Messina area.

It could be worse: in 365 AD, an earthquake in Crete caused waves that reached Greece, Italy and Egypt. And in Alexandria alone, 5 thousand people were drowned.

Samaras is echoed by German researchers Rainer Kind and Dieter Kelletat from the University of Duisburg-Essen, who also do not exclude the possibility of a strong tsunami in the Mediterranean.

No one can predict a cataclysm yet - there are no reliable means in the world to predict earthquakes - the source of tsunamis. But there is an opportunity to insure yourself. Scientists propose equipping the Mediterranean Sea with a tsunami early warning system, similar to the one that operates, for example, in South-East Asia. Of course, it will not prevent destruction, but it will give people a chance to escape or go to a higher place.

Tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean

Little is known about tsunami occurrences in the Atlantic Ocean. The frequency of tsunamis and their destructive power in the Atlantic is significantly less than in Pacific Ocean. Berning-hausen gave short description tsunamis that were observed from 1531 to 1960 in the eastern Atlantic Ocean south of the Bay of Biscay (Table 5.21). In his work, he warns that his list is not exhaustive

20 Order No. 5

Table 5.21. East Atlantic tsunami south of the Bay of Biscay from 1531 to 1960

Epicenter

Note

21/XII 1641

1676 6/V 1706

26/XII 1746 28/IV 1752

31/III 1761

27/XII 1772 1/11 1775

(?) 1787 23/1 1792

Near Lisbon, Portugal

Azores Same

Canary Islands

Lisbon, Portugal Near Buarcos and Avey. Rho, Portugal Lisbon

Azores

Off the coast of Portugal

Portimao, Portugal 38° N. latitude, 10°w. d.

Azores Same

No earthquakes were reported

Cape Good Hope Azores Same

The waves wrecked several ships; flood on the banks of the river Tacho

Several ships were damaged

Flood in Port Velas, o. Sao Jorge

Destruction on the coast of the island. Terceira

Calheta and the island are flooded. Sao Jorge

Praia da Victoria destroyed Tsunami caused by volcanic eruption; destruction in Garachico and on the island. Tenerife Tsunami observed Same

Large rise of water in the river. Tahoe

Large waves off the coast of the islands of Sao Jorge, Pico and Graciosa Tsunami 2.4 m high in Lisbon. Tsunami in Cabo Finistere (Spain), Madeira, Faial, Terceira, Porto Rico, England, Barbados

Tsunami observed near Cabode-São Vicente Catastrophic Lisbon earthquake; three tsunami waves ranging from 4.6 to 12.2 m in height led to the destruction of Lisbon; in Cadiz the waves were 5.5 m, in Gibraltar - 2.1 m; large waves were observed in Tangier, Agadir, Madeira, Funchal, and the Azores

Destructive tsunami Tsunami in Velas and on the island. Sao Jorge

Strong seas in Lisbon

Big wave in Stolovaya Bay

Tsunami 10 m high on the island. Terceira

Large tsunami waves in Velas and on the island. Sao Jorge

Epicenter

Note

27-28/VIII 1883 Volcanic eruption

Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait, Indonesia 3/11 1899 Azores

11/V 1911 22/VIII 1926

19/XII 1926 19/XI 1929

31/VIII 1931

22/VI 1939 29/II 1960

Gold Coast Azores

Lisbon 40° N. sh., 56°

Azores

Gold Coast Agadir, Morocco

The wave amplitude is about 15.2 cm in Stolovaya Bay and Strait. English Channel

Destruction in Velas and on the island. Sao Jorge; one person died

Destruction in Lome The amplitude of the tsunami on the islands of Faial and Piko is about 60.9 cm The rise of water in the river. Tahoe Tsunami on Azores caused by the Great Newfoundland Bank earthquake

Destruction in Horta, Feteira, Fr. Faial

Tsunami in Labadi and Tashii Tsunami not confirmed

and may in some cases include storm surges rather than tsunamis.

Let us consider the destructive tsunami that was observed on November 18, 1867 Virgin Islands. From this day, tremors were repeated until the beginning of 1868 and completely stopped only by 17/111. The height of the tsunami in the hall. St. Thomas was 4.6-6.1 m. There were at least four waves that approached the bay from the southeast between St. Thomas and St. Croix. In Frederiksted on the western shore of the island. Santa Cruz tsunami height ranged from 7.6 to 9.0 m. Tsunami waves flooded the island. Saba, the level rise was in St. Christopher. In Saint John Harbor on the western shore of the island. Antigua, the tsunami height reached 2.4-3.0 m.

On about. Several interesting phenomena were observed in Guadeloupe. In Basse-Terre, the appearance of the tsunami was preceded by the retreat of the sea, and the subsequent rise in level (from the base to the crest) was only 2 m, while in the northwestern part of the island in Deshouses and Sainte-Rose, according to some data, the tsunami amplitude exceeded 18 .3 m. However, according to Reid and Taber, in this case there was an overestimation of data. On the southern side of the island at Pointe-à-Pitre, the tsunami was insignificant, since the approaches to this place were covered. Tsunami data on the island. Martinique are missing. On about. St. Vincent tsunami wave heights were small, but near the island. Bequia (16.1-24.1 km to the south) the wave height reached 1.8 m. On the island. Grenada at St. George's the sea level initially fell by 1.2-1.5 m and then rose to the same height above its average

position. Vertical fluctuations in water level were repeated six times. In Guyava, the range of vertical fluctuations reached 6.1 m (according to Reid and Taber, these data are also overestimated). A large tsunami was observed on the southern side of the island. Vieques, as well as on the southeast coast of Puerto Rico.

During October-November 1918, several earthquakes occurred in Puerto Rico. After the earthquake of 11/X 1918, the resulting tsunami had an amplitude of 6.1 m. Several people died in Aguadilla, and the city of Mayaguez was damaged.

Cases of tsunamis on the coast of the Dominican Republic are of interest. Thus, after the earthquake of 4/VIII 1946, the tsunami destroyed several settlements. The earthquake's epicenter was located northeast of Julia Molina, approximately 64.4 km from the coast. The height of the tsunami in Julia Molina was estimated at about 4-5 m. The city of Matanzas was completely destroyed. About 100 people died. Fluctuations in the water level were also noted in Samana Bay, but there was no destruction.

On June 7, 1962, a strong earthquake occurred on the island of Jamaica. It should be noted that there are disagreements in the description of coastal destruction by tsunami waves. There were reports of initial sea retreat at Ligan and Yalhous. In Port Royal, the tsunami amplitude reached 1.8 m, killing 13 people. In St. Ann's Bay on the north coast of the island, a tsunami appeared almost immediately after the earthquake. Seven waves were observed caused by reflections between the coasts of Jamaica and Cuba. On the northern, less populated coast, the wave amplitude was greater than on the southern coast.

On 3/X 1790, an earthquake generated a large tsunami wave that hit the west coast of Jamaica and washed away the city of Savannah-La Mar. However, there is some evidence that the devastation was caused by a storm surge rather than a tsunami. About 300 people died. Finally, the earthquake of 14/1 1907 in the Kingston area led to the formation of a large tsunami wave off the northern coast of the island; on south coast the wave amplitude was insignificant.

Tsunami in Europe

Although not as frequent or destructive as those in the Pacific, tsunamis do occur in Europe and the Mediterranean and claim many lives. Ambraceis compiled a list of some of the most famous tsunamis in Europe and North Africa, observed from 1900 to 1960 (Table 5.22), and also provided detailed information on the intensity of seismic sea waves (see). Karnik gave a diagram of the location

the location of earthquake epicenters, which led to the formation of significant tsunamis in this area (Fig. 5.44).

Table 5.22. Tsunami in Europe

	Coordinates latitude longitude		Magnitude, m	Maximum amplitude, m
22/VIII 1926
20/VIII 1953

In this work (p. 203) Karnik identified a number of coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, where tsunamis could be observed more often than in other places. It turned out that there are only a few areas that are more or less constantly exposed to seismic sea waves. These areas include the coasts of the Aegean, Adriatic and Ionian Seas, the eastern African coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Portugal. In the eastern Mediterranean, tsunamis were most frequently observed in the Gulf of Corinth and Euboea, in the area between Himara and Durres, in the Sea of ​​Marmara, in the areas between Cyprus and Acre, Chios and Izmir, south of the Greek archipelago.

Ambraceis provides a detailed list of tsunamis for the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In compiling this list, he excluded from the original sources all unreliable and insufficiently accurate data on the occurrence of a tsunami. Moreira points out that from the middle of the 18th century. the most destructive tsunamis off the coast of Europe were associated with: the Lisbon earthquake of 1/11 1755, earthquakes

in Sicily and Calabria on 5/II 1783 and 28/XII 1908, by an earthquake in the Aegean Sea on 9/VII 1956.

European tsunamis are usually local in nature, but some can spread over long distances. Examples of such tsunamis are the tsunamis caused by the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 and, possibly, the earthquake of 21/VII 365 on the island. Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. The waves of this tsunami reached Alexandria in Egypt, Sicily, Calabria in Italy and probably the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

Rice. 5.44. Tsunami Watches in Europe.

/ - intensity II-III, 2 - intensity III P V.

At least some tsunamis in Greece are caused by powerful landslides (for example, the tsunamis 9/VII 1956 and 6/VII 1965). However, landslides themselves can be a consequence of earthquakes. Moreira wrote that faults accompanied by landslides apparently caused the tsunami of 27/IV 1894 in the Euboean Gulf, as well as the tsunamis of 8/IX 1905 and 28/XII 1908 in Sicily and Calabria. Since cable breaks occurred in the last two cases, landslides and turbidity currents most likely occurred. Cable breaks also occurred during the earthquakes of November 25, 1941 and September 9, 1954.

Some tsunamis are associated with earthquakes whose epicenters were on land and were determined quite accurately. These include the tsunami of 1638 near Pisa (Italy), 1694 near Brindisi (Italy), 2/II 1703 on the river. Tiber after a series of earthquakes in the province of L'Aquila (Italy), in February

1783 in Calabria (Italy), 26/XII 1939 in the Black Sea after an earthquake in Anatolia (Turkey).

28/II 1969 southwest of Cape Sant Vincent (Fig. 5.45) at point 36.2° N. latitude, 10.5°w. d. an earthquake occurred. A small tsunami was generated and was recorded off the coast of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, the Azores and the Canary Islands. On the coast of Portugal, the wave amplitude was

Rice. 5.45. Travel time curves (min) for tsunami 28/1! 1969 in the Portugal area.

0.8 m, in Casablanca - 1 m. The tsunami entered the river. Tacho. In Fig. Figure 5.45 also shows isolines of the travel time of this tsunami.

Let's take a closer look at the tsunami 9/VII 1956 in the Greek archipelago. The formation of the tsunami is likely due to landslides that followed the severe earthquake that occurred on the same day. The shores of the islands of the Greek archipelago and Asia Minor are indented by numerous V-shaped bays and separated by narrow straits. The power of the tsunami varied from place to place, the waves reached an amplitude of 30 m. The area affected by the tsunami exceeded 100,000 km2, and sea fluctuations continued throughout the whole day. The epicenter of the main shock, which occurred at 03:11:38 CET, had coordinates 36°54"N, 26°00"E. d. Magnitude was 7.5,

the depth of the focus was small. At 03:24:05 an aftershock with a magnitude of 7 was noted at the point 36°48"N, 25°12/E. Figure 5.46 shows the isolines of the travel time of this tsunami.

In table Figure 5.23 shows the positive and negative amplitudes, the tsunami period and the nature of the initial movement at 33 points of the Greek archipelago. In table 5.24 a list is given

Rice. 5.46. Travel time curves (min) for the 1956 9/VI1 tsunami in the Greek Archipelago.

tsunami in the Greek archipelago and surrounding seas from 1400 BC e. to 1956, and in Fig. Figure 5.47 shows the points at which these tsunamis were observed.

Pararas-Karayiannis described a powerful tsunami associated with a volcanic eruption on the island. Santorini (also known as Thira), which occurred between 1450 and 1480 BC. (Fig. 5.48). According to some reports, it was this tsunami that practically destroyed the Minos Empire. Although Pararas-Karayannis and Bolt and others agree that a catastrophic tsunami could have been generated after a volcanic eruption, they question the fact that only the eruption and tsunami destroyed the empire.

The tsunami that followed the Lisbon earthquake on November 1, 1755 caused enormous damage to European countries.

For a long time, there were widespread misconceptions about this earthquake. The raid clarified some of them. He showed that tsunami waves reached the coasts of southwestern Europe, northwestern Africa, southern England and Ireland, and the West Indies; WHO-

Rice. 5.47. Cases of tsunamis on the islands of the Greek archipelago and in nearby seas.

It is possible that they were also noted in the western part of the Mediterranean. However, there is no evidence that these waves penetrated the North and Baltic Seas, and there is only a faint hint that they were observed off the coast of America. In Lisbon, three waves with heights ranging from 4.6 to 12.2 m were observed, with wave amplitudes south of Lisbon being greater than those to the north.

Hamilton described the tsunami generated by the earthquake of 5/II 1683 in Italy in the region of Calabria and Messina.

In the town of Scylla, 2,473 people drowned, and on the island. Faro killed 24. The tsunami that followed the earthquake in Calabria on December 28, 1908, reached large amplitudes off the coast of the Strait of Messina. The tsunami was observed along the entire north coast Sicily to Termini. No tsunami was reported north of Cannitello at the entrance to the strait.

Rice. 5.48. Location of the volcanic island. Santorini (Thira).

The amplitude of the tsunami varied from 2.7 m near Messina to 8.4 m near Giordini and Ali and to 8.5 m off the coast of Briga Marina. In addition, there was a tsunami near Naples, about. Ischia, Civita Vecchia, Porto Corsini, near Ravenna and Mazzara. Wright points out that this tsunami was not particularly destructive. It gives the value of wave amplitudes in Messina equal to 2.4, in Reggio - 3.7-4.6. Oldham writes that the sea wave surged onto the shores of the Strait of Messina and the Tyrrhenian Sea, fell from a height of 9.1 m on Messina and Reggio, reached at least the shores of Malta and caused the death of three people in Catania.

Table 5.23. Characteristics of the 9/VII 1956 tsunami

	Initial	Maximum	amplitude, m
	movement
Katapola
Astypalea
Porto Scala
Kalymnos
Leros, Lucky
Patmos, Rock
Marathokambos
Tiganion
Agios Marina
Nisyros, Mandraki
Folegandros
Paros, Parikia
ErM"ION"I
Kythira, Kapsalos
Skopelos
Crete, Sitia
Agios-"Nikolaos
Paleokastron
Heraklion
Rethymno
Attica, Voula

According to Omorna, the maximum wave height (6-10 m) was on the coast of Calabria between Pellaro and Lazzaro, on the opposite coast in Platania the waves reached a height of 11.7 m. Along the whole eastern shore Waves were observed in Sicily, at the northern tip (Torre di Faro) they reached a height of only 0.8 m, and at the southern tip (Cape Passero) - 1.5 m. Along the northern coast they were observed to Termini, and along the southern - to Porto Empedocle. The waves went unnoticed in the Aeolian Islands, but they were noted in Malta. In Catania the sea level recorder was flooded, but in Palermo, Mazzara, Cagliari, Ischia, Napoleon,

Table 5.24. Tsunami in the Greek archipelago and adjacent seas

Observation point

1400 1300

426 AD e.

222 (227?) g. 62 (65?) g. 77 g.

21/VII 365 6/IX 543 7 or 9/VII 551 554

14/XII 558 26/X 740 1050

25/XII 1222 14/X 1344 20/1II 1389 3/V 1481 14/IX 1509 8/XI 1612 5/V 1622 5/1V 1646 29/ IX 1650 14/V 1748 8/1 1805 23/VIII 1817 9/1 1821 13/XI 1856 20/X 1859 26/XII 1861 22/1 1866 28/1 1866 October 1866 10/IV 1867 20/IX 1867 5/X 1871 15/IV 1878 28/1 1893 16/IV 1894 27/ XI 1914 25/IV 1928 26/IX 1932 23/1V 1933 9/11 1948 22/IV 1948 9/VII 1956

O. Santorini, o. Crete, Amnisos, Knoos Troad

Colchis, Poti

Gulfs of Maliakos, Opuntian, Atalanta, o. Peparafos Gulf of Corinth, Gelika island. Rhodes, o. Tilos, Karian and Lucian about. Crete

O. Cyprus, Episkopi

O. Crete, Asia Minor

Asia Minor, Cyzicus

hall. Maliakos

Kos Island, Dodecanese

Sea of ​​Marmara, Constantinople

Cyclades Islands, Santorini

O. Cyprus, Paphos

Constantinople

O. Chios, Lesbos, Smyrna

O. Rhodes, Dodecanese

Bosphorus, Constantinople

Cretan Sea, Crete

Ionian Islands

Santorini

Gulf of Corinth, Eion Hall. Patraikos, Patras Gulf of Corinth Ionian Islands o. Chios Feast for her

Gulf of Corinth o. Chios o. Santorini o. Kythera Lixurion

Ionian Islands, Siroe

Gulf of Corinth

Nicomedia, Prussa

O. Samothraces

Skiathos and Atalanta islands

Ionian Islands, o. Lefkada

hall. Strymonikos Kos Island, Dodecanese Karpathos Island, Dodecanese Ionian Islands, o. Lefkada O. Crete

Good records were obtained in Civita Vecchia, Livorno, Ravenna and Malta. Heesen examined the turbidity currents in the Strait of Messina that formed after this earthquake.

Earthquakes in Assam 15/:VIII 1950 with an epicenter of 28.6° N. latitude, 96.5° east. led to the formation of seiches in many fjords and lakes in Norway and Great Britain. Mention should be made of the tsunami, which was caused by an earthquake in the Aegean Sea on 9/VII 1956 with an epicenter of 36°24"N, 25°26"E. d. The maximum wave amplitude was 4.6 m. The tsunami was observed as far as the islands of Kalymnos, Astypalaia, Antiparos and the city of Heraklion.

On 7/II 1963, a tsunami was observed in Europe off the coast of the Gulf of Corinth from Patras to Eion. “Delayed” underwater landslides caused by a series of light tremors on 2/II 1963 led to the formation of a tsunami, which reached an amplitude of 2.1-2.4 m with periods of 1-2 minutes. Ambraceis points out in his work that local tsunamis associated with landslides are a common occurrence in the area.

Tsunami in the Middle East and Asia

I was only able to find a single mention of a tsunami in the Middle East. It happened in 1837 (more precise data are unknown). The earthquake was felt in Syria, Palestine, and the Jordan Valley. According to the data published in this work, the earthquake caused a strong disturbance in Lake Tiberias.

The tsunami associated with the eruption of Krakatoa in August 1883 was recorded by many stations in India and the Arabian Peninsula. Wave amplitude varied from 0.6 m in Negapatam to 0.02 m in Aden. The earthquake of November 27, 1945 in the Arabian Sea (the epicenter was 290 km from Karachi) led to the formation of a tsunami, which caused destruction in the Bombay region, on the Mahra coast, in Balochistan and Pasni. Several people died. Walker gives a brief description of two tsunami incidents off the coast of India. One of them is associated with an earthquake in the western part of the Bay of Bengal, when a tsunami was observed in Port Blair in the Andaman Islands and in Doublet near the mouth of the river. Hooghly.

Cox made additions to the list of tsunamis compiled by Beringhausen for Southeast Asia. In table Table 5.25 shows some cases of tsunami occurrence in Indonesia, and table. 5.26 - in China and Taiwan. Both tables are compiled from data taken from Cox's work.

Table 5.25. Tsunami in Indonesia

Epicenter

Note

6/III 1710 24/VIII 1757 (?) 1773 (?) 1814 11/IV 1815 (?) 1818 9/IX 1823

28/XI 1836 17/XI 1857

Buitensorg (Bogor, Java)

18/XI 1857 ?

20/VII 1859 6/X 1860 23/V 1864

26-27/VIII 1883 Sunda Strait

15/VIII 1968 23/II 1969

Amboina; possibly storm surge

Amboina Buru

O. Ternate

False references to tsunamis

on the Banda Islands

Bandaneira

Jakarta

Coast about. Kalimantan Timor

Madura and Sumbawa Islands Bima (Sumbawa Island)

Suspected tsunami in Jakarta

Bima (Sumbawa)

Kema (northern tip of Su-

Halmahera

hall. Gelvink, New Guinea Five tsunami waves, the last wave is the largest Makassar Strait The same

Table 5.26. Tsunami in China and Taiwan

Note

August (?) 173

31/X 1076 Summer 1509

September (?) 1640

19/VIII 1670 22/V 1782

Earthquake in the sea off the coast Northern China; tsunami in Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay and off the Shandong Peninsula

Questionable tsunami data in Guangdong Province The earthquake was felt in Wusong (near Shanghai); sea ​​water spills

Tremors were felt in Shantou (Guangdong); there was a tsunami

Earthquake in Suzhou County; many people drowned Taiwan Strait Tsunami (possibly storm surge)

Earthquake in the Kilong area (Taiwan); The tsunami caused significant damage, drowning several hundred people

Possible tsunami in Gansu province in north central China

In terms of the number of victims and destruction, tsunamis are far from the first place among natural disasters on our planet. But they happen quite often. According to statistics, small tsunamis occur four times a year, and the strongest ones, more than 8 meters high, occur once a decade. Photo above KPA/COLLECTION FOTO; ALAMY/PHOTAS

On Sunday morning, November 1, 1755, the residents of Lisbon were preparing to celebrate All Saints' Day. Many were already in the cathedrals, listening to sermons, others were just rushing there. Suddenly, a dull rumble was heard from somewhere underground. Houses began to shake, huge chandeliers in churches tore off from the ceilings and fell directly on parishioners, plaster and stones fell down. In search of salvation, people rushed into the street to look for open space: some rushed to the fields, but most - to the harbor to sail away on boats. A miraculously surviving eyewitness who found himself along with everyone else on the embankment, Reverend Charles Davy, later said that when the tremors subsided, there was complete calm and silence. A few minutes later, a wall of water appeared on the horizon from the ocean, instantly growing to the size of a mountain. It hit the embankment with enormous force, covering people. The monk grabbed hold of a large beam lying on the ground, and this saved his life, since the water receded as suddenly as it had come. Being completely wet, he returned to the city and from there saw a picture of monstrous destruction: the lower part of Lisbon was flooded, and in the harbor, ships were spinning like splinters, some with torn rigging or turned upside down.

It was one of the most destructive tsunamis in human memory, coupled with an earthquake that destroyed most beautiful city Europe, and what was spared by the water element was destroyed by the fire that started.

The danger of a tsunami for people lies in its suddenness, which is why in many cases the tragedy occurs according to a similar scenario. First, an earthquake destroys houses and drives townspeople out into the streets, then there is a lull and a tsunami follows. Those who were lucky enough to escape the first wave begin to return to their homes, thinking that the worst is over, and then the second, and then the third wave hits them. And these repeated tsunamis destroy many more lives, because the water quickly fills the coast, devastated after the first onslaught, and just as quickly recedes, carrying away defenseless people who have nothing to even grab onto.

The largest catastrophic tsunami in recent years caused by an earthquake occurred on December 26, 2004. Its epicenter was in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered an ocean wave that hit the coasts of several countries in Southeast Asia, reaching a height of 30 meters in some places. Almost 300 thousand people have died or are still considered missing.

After this disaster, smaller tsunamis repeatedly disturbed oceanic islands and coasts in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. On April 2, 2007, a ten-meter-high swell washed away two coastal villages and inundated the towns of Taro and Gizo in the Solomon Islands. The source of the earthquake was approximately 300 kilometers east of them at a ten-meter depth under the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

A tsunami hits the shores of Sri Lanka in 2004. Satellite photography. Photo: FOTOBANK.COM/SIPA PRESS

The textbook example of a volcanic eruption causing a tsunami is the eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883. A monstrous explosion that shook the ocean floor created a wave 40 meters high, the echoes of which were recorded by instruments in the English Channel between England and France. The tsunami completely destroyed the cities of Marak, Anyer, Tjaringan, and only a tiny part of their population survived the disaster.

Large waves that occur when large blocks of stone or ice fall into the water are also referred to as tsunamis. One of the most devastating events of this kind happened on July 9, 1958 in Alaska. After the earthquake (which in itself did not directly cause the tsunami), part of the glacier with a volume of about 300 million cubic meters fell into Lituya Bay from a height of 900 meters. On the opposite side of the bay, a wave splash 600 meters high appeared. A huge wave swept across the bay, tearing trees off the slopes. At this time, there were three ships in the bay, 10 kilometers from the center of the disaster. One of them was thrown by a wave over the island over the tops of twelve-meter trees and rocks.

Is it possible to find out in advance about the occurrence of a tsunami and warn people? For those caused by earthquakes, a forecast is possible because the speed of the seismic wave is much higher than the speed of the sea. And having recorded a strong shock with a magnitude above 7, seismologists are already raising the question of the possibility of a tsunami. But it will not come to the shore right away. The gain in time can be minutes or even hours - it all depends on the distance from the epicenter of the earthquake. If he ended up on land, then there is no need to fear a tsunami at all. Sometimes strong earthquakes at the bottom of water areas do not generate a tsunami. Only the actual recording of a wave, namely a local rise in ocean or sea level, serves as indisputable confirmation of a tsunami, but, unfortunately, most of the tide gauge points where such measurements are carried out are located near the coasts, which greatly reduces the time available to warn the population about the danger.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was the first in the world to be established - in 1948 after the disaster that occurred two years earlier in the Hawaiian Islands.

The Japanese warning system has been in operation since 1952 and relies on a very dense network of seismic stations. A particular danger for this country is posed by tsunamis arising in its western coasts, during earthquakes in the Sea of ​​Japan. So, in May 1983, several dozen people died there. The fact is that the warning signal time is 13 minutes, and the first waves approached the shore 9 minutes after the shock, in some areas - after 3 minutes. To avoid future casualties, Japan has created local systems where the possibility of a tsunami is assessed using seismic data at a single point. In the event of an unfavorable forecast in a tsunami-hazardous area, the supply of gas and electricity is automatically turned off, television and radio programs broadcast a warning text, street sirens are turned on and the evacuation of the population begins.

In the USSR, a warning service began to be created after the North Kuril tragedy of 1952. After all, the seismicity of this area is one of the highest in the world. Along the Kuril-Kamchatka island arc there is an extremely active earthquake belt, as well as a chain active volcanoes about 2000 kilometers long. Unfortunately, this service was liquidated in the 1990s, and now the only advantage over the tsunami danger is the sparse population of the Far Eastern coast.