Tsunamis across Asia-Pacific (1926-2026)
For issue 004, we updated, redesigned, and added interactivity to the static Tsunami Map we originally created for the #30daymapchallenge in 2019. The new version shows tsunami source events of validity 4 from the NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database between 1926 and 2026 (June). We altered some of the labels to make the events more recognizable, since the database focuses largely on geographic locations, rather than the names used colloquially.
You can explore the map above either via tooltip, or by filtering the events with the scale on the side. We organized the tsunamis by maximum water height and split them into 3 categories, each with a distinct narrative framing.
Category 1 — The largest events
Category 1 focuses on sheer magnitude of the event itself and includes tsunamis with a water height of more than 35m. It is no surprise that you will find the Tōhoku, Indian Ocean, and Sunda Strait tsunamis in this filter bracket. They are probably the three most noteworthy tsunamis of Asia from the past 100 years.
The Sunda Strait tsunami is the most recent of the large-scale events on the map. It occurred after the volcanic eruption of Anak Krakatau at the same site as the legendary 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, which was one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The tsunami's impact was made more devastating due to a lack of warning, and because it occurred at night.
The Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred after the 9.3 magnitude Sumatra–Andaman earthquake in 2004 resulted in the deaths of 227,898 people in 14 countries, making it the deadliest tsunami in history, as well as the deadliest natural disaster of the 21st century.
Finally, the Tōhoku tsunami, following the Tōhoku 9.1 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan in 2011, caused the loss of 19,759 lives and widespread destruction and population displacement. The aftermath involving the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was widely covered in the media and the imagery of the devastation caused by the tsunami still resonates today.
Category 2 — A long history of events
We chose to highlight a few among the many various tsunami events in Asia with a maximum water height between 3 and 35m. There is the Kuril Islands tsunami of 2006, caused by a magnitude 8.3 earthquake that caused damage as far away as Crescent City, California. There is the Sea of Japan tsunami of 1993, caused by the Okushiri earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7, as well as the Sanriku tsunami of 1933, which followed the 8.4 magnitude Sanriku earthquake. There is the Mentawai tsunami of 2010 in Sumatra, caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which swept inland by up to 600m, causing damage along the way. There was the unusually large Flores tsunami following the 7.7 magnitude Flores earthquake. We also chose to highlight the Fiji Islands tsunami from 1953 (following the Suva earthquake), the Samoa tsunami from 2009, and the Tonga Islands volcanic tsunami from 2022.
Category 3 — Geographic distribution
Finally, there is the third category consisting of smaller events with a water height of less than 3m. When viewing these events, you can really see the distribution along the Pacific Ring of Fire.