Lituya Bay

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An artificial view of the beginning of the mega-tsunami in the Lituya Bay --- believed to be created by a large landslide (background) which slid into the bay, causing a massive displacement of water which formed the huge wave (seen moving into the foreground and up into the green mountainside).

Lituya Bay is a fjord located at 58°38′N, 137°34′W in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is 14.5 km (9 mi) long and 3.2 km (2 mi) wide at its widest point. The bay was discovered in 1786 by Jean-François de La Pérouse, who named it Port des Français. Twenty-one of his men perished in the tidal current in the bay.

1 The Bay
2 References:
3 External links:

[edit] The Bay

[edit] Strong Tidal Currents

The smaller Cascade and Crillon glaciers and the larger Lituya Glacier all spill into Lituya Bay. The bay is famous for its extremely high tides. The entrance of the bay is very narrow, and the tides going into and out of the bay through the entrance also cause very treacherous currents.

[edit] Natural Disaster/Mega-tsunami

The same topography that leads to the heavy tidal currents also created the highest wave from a tsunami ever recorded anywhere in the world. An earthquake caused a landslide in Crillon Inlet at the head of the bay on July 9, 1958, generating a massive mega-tsunami measuring 524 meters (~1,720 ft.) high. For comparison, the Empire State Building is 1,472 (448m) feet high including its antenna spire. The wave stripped trees and soil from the opposite headland and consumed the entire bay. There were three fishing boats anchored near the entrance of Lituya Bay on the day the giant waves occurred. One boat was sunk and the two people on board lost their lives. The other two boats were able to ride the waves. Among the survivors were William A. Swanson, and Howard G. Ulrich, who provided accounts of what they observed. By the time the wave reached the open sea, however, it dissipated quickly. This incident was the first direct evidence and eyewitness report of the existence of mega-tsunamis as a true natural disaster.^[1]