Terrifying Mega Tsunamis: Watch How Big They Can Actually Get! [Video]

First Posted: Jan 03, 2017 02:18 AM EST
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The devastating effect of tsunamis is something that most people are well aware of, especially in the wake of the disastrous ones that took place in recent history hitting Japan and the Indian Ocean. However, if one thought that waves and the terrible effects created during those natural disasters were the absolute worst of the kind, here is some bad news.

Tsunamis can become much bigger and massive than people could imagine, especially when these take the shape of scary mega tsunamis. A new YouTube video by RealLifeLor shows exactly how powerful tsunamis can get, and in some cases, they could be capable of creating waves higher than the biggest buildings made by man!

Tsunamis can be caused by two factors: underwater explosions like eruptions or earthquakes, or when large volumes of material hit the water such as landslides or meteorites. In both cases, water displacement takes place leading to turmoil wherein water is send racing to different directions. The overall size of the tsunami, which is also referred to as a seismic sea wave, affects the strength of the blast and the distance the water has to travel.

The tsunami that had taken place in the Indian Ocean in 2004 reached a height of 30 meters and was created by an earthquake that measured 9.1 on the Richter scale. Consequently, the force of the tsunami was greater than all the combined explosives, including the nuclear bombs, used in World War II as per a report by Science Alert. The Japan tsunami that took place in 2011 was caused by an earthquake that was similar in measurement to the 2004 Indian Ocean one, and it resulted in a wave that was 40.5 meters high, making it just a bit shorter than the Statue of Liberty!

However, if a mega tsunami were to occur, then the wave it would create would be higher than the ones seen in the last two tsunamis in recent history. In fact, the Vajont Dam disaster of 1963 in Italy led to the creation of a wave that reached 250 meters up in the air. That is not all. A tsunami that took place in Alaska's Lituya Bay in 1958 led to the creation of a 525 meters high wave, which basically means a measurement higher by 100 meters than the tip of the Empire State Building. Furthermore, more powerful and massive mega tsunamis have taken place in the past. However, instead of thinking about the devastating effect of such natural disasters, one can watch them below. 

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