Hobbies And Interests
Lituya Bay Wave
Destroying a small Alaskan town, the wave that washed over Lituya Bay on July 9, 1958 was the largest in modern history. The wave destroyed vegetation as high as 1,700 feet up the sides of the bay. The wave was caused by a landslide into the bay that was the result of a massive earthquake and after traveling seven miles was still more than 100 feet tall. The rainy weather and deep waters surrounding the bay contributed to the wave's size and millions of trees were uprooted as it swept over the land.
RRS Discovery Waves
A series of waves that battered RRS Discovery is the largest recorded by scientific instruments on open water. In 2006, scientists from Britain's National Oceanography Center recorded 98-foot tall waves that pummeled their boat for 12 hours off the coast of Scotland. Prior to the incident, scientists believed waves of such size did not occur in groups and required extremely strong wind. However, relatively mild winds occurring during a lengthy storm whipped the waters into the frenzy needed to create such waves.
Hurricane Ivan Wave
A massive wave off the coast of Mexico is one of the largest ever recorded, standing ten stories high, according to the Times of London. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan roared through the Gulf of Mexico, tearing up southern Alabama with 108 mph winds. The storm also caused an enormous wave which reached 91 feet in height, with some studies suggesting the wave might've peaked at 131 feet before it could be properly measured.
Japanese Tsunami
The waves that decimated northern Japan in the 2011 tsunami were some of the largest in history, according to USA Today. Caused by a massive underwater earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, the tsunami created waves that reached more than 100 feet in height as they pushed their way through the uneven land surrounding towns and villages. The waves reached as far as six miles inland and killed thousands in one of Japan's greatest tragedies.