Tsunamis-Historical by Country (A-N)

CHILE 1960: THE CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF 22 MAY 1960 - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:55:37 -1000

The largest earthquake ( magnitude 9.5) of the 20th century occurred on May 22, 1960 off the coast of South Central Chile. It generated one of the most destructive Pacific-wide tsunamis. Near the generating area, both the earthquake and the tsunami were extremely destructive, particularly in the coastal area extending from Concepcion to the south end of Isla Chiloe. The most extensive tsunami damage occurred at Isla Chiloe, the coastal area closest to the epicenter. Huge tsunami waves measuring as high as 25 meters, arrived within 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake, killing at least two hundred people, sinking all the boats, and inundating half a kilometer inland. There was ........

COLOMBIA 1979: THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF 12 DECEMBER 1979 - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:44:25 -1000

(Excerpts from a survey undertaken from December 20, 1979 to January 5, 1980, in Colombia and Ecuador and from Report submitted to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and to the International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific(ICG/ITSU).

A major earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale occurred at 07:59:4.3 (UT) on 12 December 1979 along the Pacific Coast of Colombia. The 12 December 1979 earthquake and tsunami associated with it, were responsible for the destruction of at least six fishing villages and the death of hundreds of people in the State of Narino in Colombia. The earthquake was felt in Bogota, Cali, Popayan, Buenaventura and other major cities and villages in Colombia, and in Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, Quito and other parts of Ecuador. An investigation of the effects of the earthquake and tsunami was ..........

GREECE 1490/1625 BC: THE TSUNAMI GENERATED FROM THE ERUPTION OF THE SANTORIN VOLCANO DURING THE BRONZE AGE - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:07:16 -1000

[Revised assessment based on papers first published in Natural Hazards 5:115-123,1992. 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands, in Sea Frontiers (1972) and in the Grolier Encyclopedia (1974)]

Numerous tsunamis with short and longer wave periods were generated by complex mechanisms associated with the paroxysmal Plinian and Ultra-Plinian phase of the Bronze Age eruption and collapse of the volcano of Santorin. Based on an approximate reconstruction of volcanic mass edifice failure geometries, from sector caldera and flank collapses, and from estimates of volumes and time scales of resulting kinematic processes - as inferred from geologic evidence and recent geophysical findings - the near and far-field characteristics of the tsunamis are evaluated. .........

INDIA 1941: EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF JUNE 26, 1941 IN THE ANDAMAN SEA AND THE BAY OF BENGAL - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:12:42 -1000

The earthquake of June 26, 1941 was one of the strongest in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands of India. The quake generated a tsunami in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal which was particularly destructive along the east coast of India.

In the hours following the major earthquake, a series of powerful aftershocks struck the region. Two magnitude 6.0 events struck within 24 hours of the main shock on June 27th, 1941. The first major afteshock occurred at 07:32:47 UTC and was followed by another at 08:32:19 UTC. There were 14 earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 - up to January 1942.

Felt Reports: Strong ground motions were felt throughout the Andaman and Nicobar Island groups. Highest intensities .........

INDONESIA 1977: THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF AUGUST 19, 1977 IN THE LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS OF INDONESIA - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:12:56 -1000

(Excerpts from surveys undertaken by the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC) in Indonesia and Australia in August 1977, from ITIC Progress Reports for 1976-1977 prepared for the 1978 Sixth Session of ITSU in Manila, Philippines, for 1977-1979 prepared for the 1979 Seventh Session of ITSU in Lima, Peru, and supplemented by more recently obtained information. Technical information on the August 19th tsunami was compiled and published as ITIC Tsunami Report 77-12)br />

On August 19, 1977 a great earthquake occurred just south of the Lesser Sunda Islands (NusaTenggara region), west of Sumba Island in Indonesia. This was the largest earthquake along the Java Trench in several decades. The Lesser Sundas include Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Timor, Alor, and the adjacent smaller islands. A major tsunami was generated which was particularly damaging along the coasts of Sumba, Sumbawa, Lombok and Bali.

The earthquake's occurred at 06:08:52.2 UTC. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's preliminary epicenter location was given as 10.5 S, 118.8 W., about 170 kilometers SSW of Pradapare, Sumba Island (West Nusa Tenggara). The initial Richter magnitude was estimated at 7.7. The epicenter was subsequently ........

INDONESIA 1883: THE GREAT TSUNAMI OF AUGUST 26, 1883 FROM THE EXPLOSION OF THE KRAKATAU VOLCANO (Krakatoa") IN INDONESIA - by Dr.George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:06:41 -1000

The paroxysmal explosion and collapse of the volcano of Krakatoa generated formidable tsunami waves that were up to 37 m (120 feet) in height. These waves destroyed 295 towns and villages in the Sunda Strait in Western Java and Southern Sumatra. A total of 36,417 people were drowned. The tsunami, being of volcanic origin (a point source) was only destructive locally in Indonesia. However, small tsunami waves were recorded throughout the Pacific.

Undoubtedly, the atmospheric pressure waves from the three gigantic eruptions of Krakatoa on August 26 and 27, 1983, which proceeded the fourth paroxysmal explosion, gave rise to tsunami like waves. The first of these three proceeding violent explosions occurred ......

INDONESIA 1883: NEAR AND FAR-FIELD EFFECTS OF TSUNAMIS GENERATED BY THE PAROXYSMAL ERUPTIONS, EXPLOSIONS, CALDERA COLLAPSES AND MASSIVE SLOPE FAILURES OF THE KRAKATAU VOLCANO IN INDONESIA ON AUGUST 26-27, 1883 - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:06:34 -1000

The paroxysmal phases of Krakatau's volcanic activity on August 26-27, 1883, included numerous submarine Surtsean (phreatomagmatic) eruptions, three sub aerial Plinian eruptions from the three main craters of Krakatau on Rakata island, followed by a fourth gigantic, sub aerial, Ultra-Plinian explosion. Landslides, flank failures, subsidences and a multiphase massive caldera collapse of the volcano - beginning near the Perbowetan crater on the northern portion of Rakata and followed by a collapse of the Danan crater - occurred over a period of at least 10 hours. The first of the three violent explosions occurred at 17: 07 Greenwich time (GMT) on August 26. The second and third eruptions occurred at 05:30 GMT and at 06:44 GMT on August 27. Each of these events, as well as expanding gases from the submarine phreatomagmatic eruptions, lifted the water surrounding the island into domes or truncated cones that must have been about 100 meters or more in height. The height of the resulting waves attenuated rapidly away from the source because of their short periods and wavelengths. It was the fourth colossal explosion (VEI=6) and the subsequent massive flank failure and caldera collapse of two thirds of Rakata Island, at 10:02 a.m., on August 27, that generated the most formidable of the destructive tsunami waves. A smaller fifth explosion that occurred at 10:52 a.m. must have generated another large water cone and sizable waves. The final collapse of a still standing wall of Krakatau - which occurred several hours later, ......

INDONESIA 1883: THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF 1833 OFF THE COAST OF CENTRAL SUMATRA IN INDONESIA - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:13:40 -1000

In 1833 a great earthquake off the coast of Central Sumatra in Indonesia generated a destructive tsunami that must have affected Sumatra and the entire Indian Ocean basin and western coast of Australia.

Magnitude - The Moment Magnitude of the 1833 earthquake has been estimated to have been in the order of Mw= 8.7 to Mw= 8.8. However, based on field studies of coral growth rings in the region (Zachariasen et al.), it was postulated that the moment magnitude may have been as great as Mw=9.2 - almost as much as that of the Great Earthquake of .......

JAPAN/RUYKU ISLANDS 1999: THE EARTHQUAKE OF 20 SEPTEMBER 1999 IN TAIWAN - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:07:57 -1000

A large earthquake struck the island of Taiwan at approximately 1:45 a.m. (local time) on September 20, 1999. The quake killed or injured thousands of people, left thousands more homeless and caused extensive destruction to buildings, roads and utilities. Most of the casualties and damage occurred in the central Nantou, Taichung and Yunlin Counties. The quake triggered a series of landslides.

Earthquake Epicenter, Origin Time, Magnitude and Aftershocks .........

MEXICO 1985: THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 19 SEPTEMBER 1985 AND THE MAJOR EARTHQUAKE OF 21 SEPTEMBER 1985 IN MEXICO - TSUNAMI SOURCE MECHANISMS - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:08:02 -1000

( Excerpts from a Report submitted to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and to the International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific(ICG/ITSU), based on a survey of the stricken area by the suthor and from subsequent analysis of the findings)

The major earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale which struck the Western Coast of Mexico on Thursday, 19 September 1985, generated a small tsunami. A major earthquake (aftershock or separate event?) on 21 September, 1985 with magnitude 7.5 generated also a small tsunami. Both tsunamis propagated across the Pacific and were recorded by several tide stations in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Samoa, and Hawaii. No reports of damage were received from any distant locations, and only minor damage due to the first tsunami was reported in the source region along the west coast of Mexico.

A survey was undertaken by ......

MEXICO 1985:THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE OF 19 SEPTEMBER 1985 AND THE MAJOR EARTHQUAKE OF 21 SEPTEMBER 1985 IN MEXICO - TSUNAMI SOURCE MECHANISMS - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:08:09 -1000

NICARAGUA 1992: THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF 2 SEPTEMBER 1992 IN NICARAGUA - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:15:15 -1000

A major tsunamigenic earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua at 18.16 local time, (00h 16m GMT) on September 2, 1992 . The initial surface wave magnitude was estimated at 7.2 and its epicenter was at 11.761° N, 87.419 West, about 120 Kms West/Southwest of the city of Managua. The magnitude was later revised to a moment magnitude (Mw 7.6.) The main earthquake was followed by several strong aftershocks. Tsunami waves of up to 10 meters reached the Nicaraguan coast .

Tectonic Setting: The earthquake occurred along a convergence zone of subduction that has created the ......