The highest tsunami: 1958, Alaska
![[NASA] The rockslide (A) and the tsunami splash (B)](2004-04-24-tsunami.jpg) Q: In all my surfing at tsunami related sites, none of them could provide me data of the highest
tsunami ever recorded in human history. --Eran Gafni
A: In a narrow Alaskan bay about 250 miles west of Juneau, the highest tsunami ever recorded loomed to
a height of 1,700 feet (520 meters)-almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower. It happened like this:
[NASA] The rockslide (A) and the tsunami splash (B)
On the night of July 7, 1958 a giant earthquake (magnitude 8) shifted the land along the Fairweather Fault
that borders the bay beneath a steep face of rock. ("A" in the photo). The shaking earth broke loose a
massive rockslide that crashed into the bay and splashed an enormous wave-a tsunami-hurtling at jet
speeds toward the opposite shore. The wall of water knocked down millions of trees and stripped the
shore down to bare rock. ("B": light area above the point.)
The rampaging wave overtook and killed two boaters fleeing to open sea. Other boaters anchored in the
bay for the night survived.
(Answered by April Holladay, science correspondent, Apr. 24, 2002)
Further Surfing:
How a tsunami
forms, and why the water goes out sometimes
Tsunamis
in a river?
Tsunamis: lake
water sloshing like bathtub water
USATODAY.com: tsunami graphic
USC tsunami research group: 1958 Lituya Bay tsunami
NOAA: Questions and answers about tsunamis
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