Noteworthy Volcanic Tsunamis:
Photo Courtesy: AFP Photo Courtesy: IUGG
Date of Tsunami |
Volcano Location |
Tsunami Cause and Impact |
1638 BC |
Santorini, Greece |
Ø Destruction of the population of Crete |
79 AD |
Vesuvius, Italy |
Ø Caldera collapse Ø Unknown devastation |
1631 |
Vesuvius, Italy |
Ø Worst Vesuvius tsunami Ø Result of subplinian eruption Ø Many boats destroyed |
1640 |
Komagatake, Japan |
Ø Summit collapse from landslide Ø 700 people killed |
1715 |
Taal, Philippines |
Ø Base surge-induced tsunami |
1741 |
Oshima-Oshima, Japan |
Ø Volcanic earthquake Ø 1,467 people killed |
1749 |
Taal, Philippines |
Ø Base sure-induced tsunami |
1792 |
Unzen, Japan |
Ø Landslide from nearby Mt Mayuyama Ø 55m tsunami waves Ø Around 15,000 people killed |
1815 |
Tambora, Indonesia |
Ø Pyroclastic flows entering sea Ø Waves over 10m Ø Over 10,000 people dead |
1871 |
Ruang, Indonesia |
Ø Pyroclastic flow Ø 26m waves |
1878 |
Yasur, Vanuata |
Ø Volcanic earthquake Ø 16m waves |
1878 |
Okmok, Alaska, USA |
Ø Volcanic earthquake-induced |
1883 |
Augustine, Alaska, USA |
Ø Volcanic landslide Ø 9m waves |
1883 |
Krakatau, Indonesia |
Ø 40m waves Ø 36,000 people dead |
1888 |
Ritter, Papua new Guinea |
Ø Volcano collapse and avalanche Ø 15m waves Ø Hundreds killed on shoreline |
1902 |
Pelee, Carribean |
Ø Pyroclastic flow-induced |
1913 |
Ambrym, Vanuatu |
Ø Underwater eruption |
1928 |
Paluweh, Indonesia |
Ø Volcanic landslide Ø 10m waves Ø 150 people killed |
1930 |
Stromboli, Italy |
Ø Volcanic earthquake and landslide Ø 2m waves |
1933 |
Severgin, Kurile Islands |
Ø Volcanic earthquake Ø 10m tsunami waves |
1956 |
Bezymianny, Russia |
Ø Shockwave-induced tsunami |
1969 |
Didicas, Philippines |
Ø 3 people killed |
1972, 1974 |
Ritter, Papua New Guinea |
Ø Small tsunamis from subsidence of volcano |
1979 |
Illiwerung, Indonesia |
Ø Volcanic landslide Ø 9m waves Ø Over 500 people dead |
1980 |
St Helens, Washington, USA |
Ø Volcanic landslide Ø 250m waves in Spirit Lake |
1983 |
Illiwerung, Indonesia |
Ø Submarine eruption Ø Few deaths |
1986 |
Nyos, Cameroon |
Ø Underwater CO2 eruption Ø 75m tsunami waves |
1988 |
Vulcano, Italy |
Ø Volcanic landslide Ø 5.5m waves |
1994 |
Rabaul, Papua New Guinea |
Ø Pyroclastic flow-induced Ø 1.2m waves |
1996 |
Karymsky, Russia |
Ø Phreatomagmatic eruption Ø 30m waves |
1997 |
Soufriere Hills, Montserrat |
Ø Volcanic debris slide Ø 3m waves |
2002 |
Stromboli, Italy |
Ø Landslide-induced tsunami |
2007 |
Ritter, Papua New Guinea |
Ø Eruption-induced landslide Ø Many homes destroyed |