Mondo Knows Facts

The highest tsunami ever recorded ran up 524 metres

A landslide into Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958 sent water over the ridge

An earthquake shook loose a huge rockfall at the head of Lituya Bay, and the water it displaced surged up the opposite slope, stripping trees to a height of 524 metres. Three fishing boats were in the bay; one rode over the wave and survived. It is a megatsunami, caused by displacement rather than by a tectonic sea-floor shift.

Where this comes from

USGS

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Tags: tsunami, alaska, landslide

The highest tsunami ever recorded ran up 524 metres: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
A landslide into Lituya Bay, Alaska, in 1958 sent water over the ridge. The figure is taken from USGS, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a records & extremes fact?
Yes. It sits on the Records & Extremes shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?
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