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Mount St. Helens, Washington 1980

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Mount Saint Helens | Location, Eruption, Map, & Facts

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Mount Saint Helens, volcanic peak in the Cascade Range, southwestern Washington, U.S. Its eruption on May 18, 1980, was one of the greatest volcanic explosions ever recorded in North America. A total of 57 people and thousands of animals were killed in the event.

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Mauna Loa Eruption 2022

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The 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa produced lava flows that predominately traveled north towards Daniel K. Inouye State Highway 200 before ending.
USGS Map

Mauna Loa Erupts

The largest active volcano in the world, Mauna Loa, erupted for about 12 days in late 2022, the first eruption since 1984.

The eruption began in Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, around 11:30 p.m. HST on Sunday November 27, 2022. After several hours, new fissures opened some distance away from the summit along the Northeast Rift Zone. Soonafter, the summit fissures stopped erupting. By Friday, December 2, the eruption was limited to fissure 3 along the Northwest Rift Zone. Fissure 3, the only active fissure, was producing between 50 and 100 cubic yards of lava per second, flowing down slope and out of the park to the north towards Daniel K. Inoye State Highway 200 (Saddle Road).

On December 13, 2022 the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory determined that "Mauna Loa is no longer erupting." Adding, "Lava supply to the fissure 3 vent on the Northeast Rift Zone ceased on December 10 and sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased to near pre-eruption background levels."

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2022 Eruption of Mauna Loa - Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

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The largest active volcano in the world, Mauna Loa, erupted for about 12 days in late 2022, the first eruption since 1984. The eruption began in Mokuʻāweoweo, the summit caldera of Mauna Loa, around 11:30 p.m. HST on Sunday November 27, 2022.

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Sumatra, Indonesia 2004 Earthquake

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The 9.1-magnitude Sumatra earthquake led to the deadliest-ever tsunami, killing nearly 230,000 people as it ravaged across the Indian Ocean

by Victoria Heath

On Boxing Day 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake was recorded off the coast of Sumatra Island, Indonesia. A 900-mile stretch of fault line was ruptured where the Indian and Australian tectonic plates meet, causing the ocean floor to rise by around 40 metres. Also known as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, the disaster led to the deadliest-ever tsunami recorded.

Aftermath of Sumatra earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia

The resultant tsunami occurred within just 20 minutes of the Sumatra earthquake. 100-foot waves hit the shores of Banda Aceh in Indonesia, killing over 100,000 people.

The western part of the city of Banda Aceh has almost flat topography. Waves reached between 4-8 metres high in these areas, reaching higher numbers in hilly areas south of Banda Aceh.

If buildings in the area survived the initial shaking caused by the earthquake, most were devastated by tsunami waves. Debris caused by the impact of three successive waves tsunami waves caused large projectiles such as cars, trucks and boats, to impact facilities which were previously undamaged. The supports holding up roads and bridges were swept away, and hundreds of bridges were destroyed.

According to the UN Field Office, approximately 131,000 people were confirmed dead, and 37,000 were reported missing in the northern province of Aceh in Sumatra. Eighty thousand houses suffered from major damage or collapsed entirely, and more than 500,000 people in Sumatra were displaced from their homes.

Tsunami impact elsewhere

The devastation quickly spread to Thailand, India and Sri Lanka coastlines, with tsunami waves travelling across the Indian Ocean at 500mph. Eight hours after the earthquake, over 5,000 miles away, the tsunami hit the coast of South Africa. In total, the disaster killed nearly 230,000 people across 14 countries.

What caused the earthquake and tsunami?

Known as a megathrust quake, the earthquake occurred due to a heavy ocean plate slipping underneath a lighter continental plate. The disaster was caused by the India Plate subducting (being forced under) the Burma micro-plate, which forms part of the larger Sunda plate.

The earthquake itself is estimated to have released the equivalent energy of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs, and was so large that the planet's rotation changed as the Earth's mass shifted.

Learning from the Sumatra earthquake

Three weeks after the tsunami, representatives of 168 nations agreed to the Hyogo Framework for Action which encouraged global support and cooperation for disaster risk reduction.

Around $7 billion in aid was contributed by the Indonesian government, NGOs, donors and individuals. In Aceh, the government established a high-level bureau in order to organise recovery work.

At the time of the disaster, there was no official tsunami warning system, with the last major tsunami occurring in 1883. Some small island communities possessed tsunami knowledge from stories of tsunamis passed down through generations, which helped prevent further loss of life.

However, other witnesses came to the water in order to explore the ocean floor, or went about continuing their daily activities. Although signs such as withdrawal of the sea, and unusually large (but not damaging waves) were present, these were not widely understood as warnings.

To detect and warn of underwater earthquakes sooner, ocean floor earthquake sensors have since been installed, alongside training local communities in disaster response and evacuation. Now, national tsunami warning centres are also established in countries in the Indian Ocean region which can help alert citizens of imminent disasters.

If you enjoyed this article subscribe to the Geographical Archive to read more about what happened in 2004.

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9.1-magnitude Sumatra earthquake led to deadliest-ever tsunami, killing nearly 230,000 people as it ravaged across the Indian Ocean.

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Tohuku, Japan 2011 - Earthquake

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National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

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On March 11, 2011, a magnitude (Mw) 9.1 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu on the Japan Trench. A tsunami that was generated by the earthquake arrived at the coast within 30 minutes, overtopping seawalls and disabling three nuclear reactors within days. The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami event, often referred to as the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, resulted in over 18,000 dead, including several thousand victims who were never recovered.

The deadly earthquake was the largest magnitude ever recorded in Japan and the third-largest in the world since 1900.

How It Happened

The 2011 event resulted from thrust faulting on the subduction zone plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

This region has a high rate of seismic activity, with the potential to generate tsunamis. Past earthquakes that generated tsunamis in the region have included the deadly events of , , and .

The March 11, 2011 earthquake generated a tsunami with a maximum wave height of almost 40 meters (130 feet) in the Iwate Prefecture. Researchers also determined that a 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) stretch of Japan's Pacific coast was impacted by the tsunami.

Following the earthquake, a tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a significant nuclear accident. All three nuclear cores largely melted in the first three days.

As of December 2020, the Japan National Police Agency reported 15,899 deaths, 2,527 missing and presumed deaths, and 6,157 injuries for the Great East Japan event.

High Costs

In Japan, the event resulted in the total destruction of more than 123,000 houses and damage to almost a million more. Ninety-eight percent of the damage was attributed to the tsunami. The costs resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan alone were estimated at $220 billion USD. The damage makes the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami the most expensive natural disaster in history.

Although the majority of the tsunami's impact was in Japan, the event was truly global. The tsunami was observed at coastal sea level gauges in over 25 Pacific Rim countries, in Antarctica, and on the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.

The tsunami caused $31 million USD damage in Hawaii and $100 million USD in damages and recovery to marine facilities in California. Additionally, damage was reported in French Polynesia, Galapagos Islands, Peru, and Chile.

Fortunately, the loss of life outside of Japan was minimal (one death in Indonesia and one death in California) due to the Pacific Tsunami Warning System and its connections to national-level warning and evacuation systems.

From Peril to Preparedness

To learn from the tragedy in Japan, researchers collected extensive data on tsunami wave forces and building performance. This facilitated improvement in tsunami mitigation strategies, such as building codes. Over 6,200 tsunami wave measurements were collected in Japan and the Pacific region.

Several thousands of lives across the world were lost to large, far-afield tsunamis prior to the establishment of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System in 1965. The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami demonstrated that despite the severity of the natural hazard the investment in the warning system has been a success.

Japan is often considered the country most prepared for tsunamis but still lost numerous lives in this event. Nonetheless, experts believe many lives were saved in Japan and elsewhere due to the existing warning and mitigation systems.

An effective tsunami warning system relies on the free and open exchange and long-term management of global data and science products to mitigate, model, and forecast tsunamis. NCEI is the global data and information service for tsunamis. Global historical tsunami data, including more information about the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, are available via interactive maps and a variety of web services.

For more information on how you can prepare for a tsunami, visit the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. Also, visit NCEI's Natural Hazards for more earthquake and tsunami data, images, and educational materials.

References

Kong, L., P. Dunbar, and N. Arcos (2015). Pacific Tsunami Warning System: A Half-Century of Protecting the Pacific 1965-2015. Honolulu: International Tsunami Information Center.

Satake, K. (2014). Chapter 24, The 2011 Tohoku, Japan, Earthquake and Tsunami. Extreme Natural Hazards, Disaster Risks and Societal Implications, Cambridge University Press, p. 340-351.

UNESCO/IOC (2012). Summary Statement from the Japan - UNESCO - UNU Symposium on The Great East Japan Tsunami on 11 March 2011 and Tsunami Warning Systems: Policy Perspectives 16 - 17 February 2012

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On This Day: 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

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On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan, generating a deadly tsunami.

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Sumatra Indonesia- tsunami

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Tohoku, Japan 2011- Tsunami

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National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

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On March 11, 2011, a magnitude (Mw) 9.1 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu on the Japan Trench. A tsunami that was generated by the earthquake arrived at the coast within 30 minutes, overtopping seawalls and disabling three nuclear reactors within days. The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami event, often referred to as the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, resulted in over 18,000 dead, including several thousand victims who were never recovered.

The deadly earthquake was the largest magnitude ever recorded in Japan and the third-largest in the world since 1900.

How It Happened

The 2011 event resulted from thrust faulting on the subduction zone plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

This region has a high rate of seismic activity, with the potential to generate tsunamis. Past earthquakes that generated tsunamis in the region have included the deadly events of , , and .

The March 11, 2011 earthquake generated a tsunami with a maximum wave height of almost 40 meters (130 feet) in the Iwate Prefecture. Researchers also determined that a 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) stretch of Japan's Pacific coast was impacted by the tsunami.

Following the earthquake, a tsunami disabled the power supply and cooling of three Fukushima Daiichi reactors, causing a significant nuclear accident. All three nuclear cores largely melted in the first three days.

As of December 2020, the Japan National Police Agency reported 15,899 deaths, 2,527 missing and presumed deaths, and 6,157 injuries for the Great East Japan event.

High Costs

In Japan, the event resulted in the total destruction of more than 123,000 houses and damage to almost a million more. Ninety-eight percent of the damage was attributed to the tsunami. The costs resulting from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan alone were estimated at $220 billion USD. The damage makes the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami the most expensive natural disaster in history.

Although the majority of the tsunami's impact was in Japan, the event was truly global. The tsunami was observed at coastal sea level gauges in over 25 Pacific Rim countries, in Antarctica, and on the west coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil.

The tsunami caused $31 million USD damage in Hawaii and $100 million USD in damages and recovery to marine facilities in California. Additionally, damage was reported in French Polynesia, Galapagos Islands, Peru, and Chile.

Fortunately, the loss of life outside of Japan was minimal (one death in Indonesia and one death in California) due to the Pacific Tsunami Warning System and its connections to national-level warning and evacuation systems.

From Peril to Preparedness

To learn from the tragedy in Japan, researchers collected extensive data on tsunami wave forces and building performance. This facilitated improvement in tsunami mitigation strategies, such as building codes. Over 6,200 tsunami wave measurements were collected in Japan and the Pacific region.

Several thousands of lives across the world were lost to large, far-afield tsunamis prior to the establishment of the Pacific Tsunami Warning System in 1965. The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami demonstrated that despite the severity of the natural hazard the investment in the warning system has been a success.

Japan is often considered the country most prepared for tsunamis but still lost numerous lives in this event. Nonetheless, experts believe many lives were saved in Japan and elsewhere due to the existing warning and mitigation systems.

An effective tsunami warning system relies on the free and open exchange and long-term management of global data and science products to mitigate, model, and forecast tsunamis. NCEI is the global data and information service for tsunamis. Global historical tsunami data, including more information about the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, are available via interactive maps and a variety of web services.

For more information on how you can prepare for a tsunami, visit the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program. Also, visit NCEI's Natural Hazards for more earthquake and tsunami data, images, and educational materials.

References

Kong, L., P. Dunbar, and N. Arcos (2015). Pacific Tsunami Warning System: A Half-Century of Protecting the Pacific 1965-2015. Honolulu: International Tsunami Information Center.

Satake, K. (2014). Chapter 24, The 2011 Tohoku, Japan, Earthquake and Tsunami. Extreme Natural Hazards, Disaster Risks and Societal Implications, Cambridge University Press, p. 340-351.

UNESCO/IOC (2012). Summary Statement from the Japan - UNESCO - UNU Symposium on The Great East Japan Tsunami on 11 March 2011 and Tsunami Warning Systems: Policy Perspectives 16 - 17 February 2012

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On This Day: 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

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On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan, generating a deadly tsunami.