Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Santorini, 1628 BC
Mt. Pelée, 1902
Krakatau, 1883
Location of volcanoes generating tsunami historically
Fig. 8.2
Location of volcanoes that have generated tsunami in recorded history. Based on Latter (
1981
), and Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (
1999
)
Table 8.1
Causes of historical tsunami induced by volcanoes
Mechanism
Percentage of events
Examples
Date
Height (m)
Volcanic earthquakes
22.0
New Hebrides
10 January 1878
17
Pyroclastic flows
20.0
Ruang, Indonesia
5 March 1871
25
Krakatau, Indonesia
26-27 August 1883
[10
Submarine explosions
19.0
Krakatau, Indonesia
26-27 August 1883
42
Sakurajima, Japan
9 September 1780
6
Caldera formation
9.0
Ritter Island
13 March 1888
12-15
Krakatau, Indonesia
26-27 August 1883
2-10
Landslides
7.0
Unzen Volcano, Japan
21 May 1792
6-9
Basal surges
7.0
Taal Volcano, Philippines
numerous
?
Avalanches of hot rock
6.0
Stromboli, Italy
numerous
?
Lahars
4.5
Mt. Pelée, Martinique
5 May 1902
4.5
Atmospheric pressure wave
4.5
Krakatau, Indonesia
26-27 August 1883
\0.5
Lava
1.0
Matavanu Volcano, Samoa
1906-2007
3.0-3.6
Source Based on Latter (
1981
)
with run-ups 35-55 m above sea level along 77 km of
coastline on the Shimabara Peninsula and along the oppo-
site side of the sea, 15 km away. Six thousand houses were
destroyed, 1,650 ships were sunk, and 14,524 people lost
their lives. Similar-magnitude waves were generated by
landslides on Paluweh Island, Indonesia, on August 4, 1928
(160 dead), and recently on Ili Werung Volcano, Indonesia
on
Augustine at the entrance to Cook Inlet, Alaska, also has the
potential to generate 5-7 m high tsunami through sloughing
(Lockridge
1990
). Eleven major debris avalanches, occur-
ring at 150-200 year intervals, have originated from this
volcano. One of the largest occurred on October 6, 1883.
The avalanche swept 4-8 km into Cook Inlet on the north
side of the volcano. Within half an hour, a 9 m high tsunami
flooded settlements at English Bay, 85 km up the inlet.
July
18,
1979
(500
dead)
(Latter
1981
).
Mt.
St.
