Tsunami without earthquakes
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2019 07:16:45 +0000
THE tsunami that killed hundreds of people on Sumatra and Java in Indonesia last December is a reminder that such destructive waves are not always caused by earthquakes. Anak Krakatau had been spewing ash and lava for months before a large portion of its south-west side had slid off into the Ocean. This caused an underwater landslide and eventually caused the tsunami that hit Sumatra and Java where more than 420 people died and 40,000 were displaced.
No tsunami warning was triggered and people were taken by surprise. Coastal residents said though they were seeing the volcano spewing ash in the past days, they did not feel any danger before tsunami of up to three meters high suddenly surged in.
The 1883 eruption of Krakatau is considered one of the largest catastrophic volcano eruptions in modern history, which triggered a period of global cooling. The area around Anak Krakatau is the former site of the Krakatau volcano. The 2012 study said a tsunami could be triggered by a collapse of Anak Krakatau’s flank as the volcano is partly built on a steep wall of the caldera resulting from the 1883 eruptions.
The Mount Unzen eruption of 1792, volcanic eruption in Kyushu, Japan led to a destructive landslide and a tsunami also. The death toll is estimated at some 15,000 people, making it the most deadly volcanic eruption in Japan’s history. After an initial eruption, a large earthquake triggered a landslide from the peak, a 4,000-year-old lava dome rising above the city of Shimabara. The massive landslide swept through the city and eventually reached the Ariake Sea, where it set off a tsunami. The wave surge devastated nearby areas, and caused further widespread damage and death. This catastrophic event served as a reminder to the Japanese people of Earth’s unpredictability.