FAQ Results

Keywords searched: 25 February 2005 Interview with Dr. Hal Mofjeld

1. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by an earthquake?
2. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by a volcanic eruption?
3. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by a landslide or an avalanche?
4. Do you have a favorite tsunami?
5. How long have you been studying tsunamis?
6. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1-lowest and 10-highest) how would you rate the Dec. 26, 2004 Sumatra tsunami according to the damage done?
7. When did you first get interested in tsunamis?
8. What year was the first tsunami recorded? (I have found more than one answer to this.)
9. What is the worst tsunami to ever hit the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska)?
10. What is the worst tsunami to ever hit the United States ( NOT including Hawaii and Alaska?)

1. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by an earthquake?
   
   In terms of loss of life, the worst tsunami ever was the December 26, 2004, tsunami that occurred recently in Indian Ocean. While we will never know how many people were killed by this tsunami, there is growing evidence that at least 300,000 people died as a result of this tsunami.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
2. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by a volcanic eruption?
   
   The worst tsunami created by a volcanic eruption was the one in 1883 that occurred when the volcano Krakatoa had an explosive eruption. Over 36,000 people were killed by this tsunami near Java, Indonesia, where Krakatoa is located; many villages and towns were also destroyed.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
3. What do you think is the worst tsunami ever that was created by a landslide or an avalanche?
   
   A rockslide into Vaiont Reservoir, Italy, created a tsunami that killed 3,000 people. Landslides and avalanches also occur during many earthquakes, increasing the strength of the tsunami.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
4. Do you have a favorite tsunami?
   
   I like the small tsunamis that aren't dangerous but teach us a lot. My favorite is probably the November 17, 2003, tsunami that was generated in Alaska. The new tsunami buoys near Alaska showed that the tsunami was small, and this information helped the NOAA tsunami warning centers decide not to call an evacuation of the beaches in Hawaii.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
5. How long have you been studying tsunamis?
   
   I've been studying tsunamis for about twenty years, and they have been the main focus of my research for about fifteen years.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
6. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1-lowest and 10-highest) how would you rate the Dec. 26, 2004 Sumatra tsunami according to the damage done?
   
   This tsunami definitely rates a 10, based on the loss of life and the damage done.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
7. When did you first get interested in tsunamis?
   
   I became interested in tsunamis in the mid-1980's when this became an important research area at the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory where I work.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
8. What year was the first tsunami recorded? (I have found more than one answer to this.)
   
   There is geological evidence that large tsunamis have occurred thousands of years ago. In terms of the earliest tsunami in the historical record, a volcano erupted on Santorini Island, Greece and created a large tsunami. The years I've found for this event are 1628 BC and 1410 BC. This tsunami is thought to have so large that it destroyed an entire civilization. The Chinese and Japanese have a long history of recording tsunamis, but I didn't find any dates for the earliest ones of these.
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
9. What is the worst tsunami to ever hit the United States (including Hawaii and Alaska)?
   
   Including Hawaii and Alaska, the worst tsunami to strike the United States was the 1946 Alaska tsunami that killed 165 people (almost all of these in Alaska and Hawaii).
   
   Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research
   
   
10. What is the worst tsunami to ever hit the United States ( NOT including Hawaii and Alaska?)
    
    The 1918 tsunami that struck Puerto Rico killed 42 people. In terms of the U.S. Mainland, the 1964 tsunami from Alaska that struck Washington State, Oregon and California caused the most loss of life (11 people in Crescent City, California) and property damage.
    
    Authority: Dr. Hal Mofjeld, interview in February 25, 2005, NOAA Center for Tsunami Research