A new book uses stories from tsunami survivors to decode deadly waves

‘Tsunami’ blends harrowing eyewitness accounts with science

2004 tsunami in Thailand

A tsunami triggered by a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004 sent this deadly wave crashing ashore in Ao Nang, Thailand. Eyewitness accounts of the tsunami that rippled from this quake are featured in the new book Tsunami.

David Rydevik/Wikimedia Commons

Tsunami
James Goff and Walter Dudley
Oxford Univ., $34.95

On March 27, 1964, Ted Pederson was helping load oil onto a tanker in Seward, Alaska, when a magnitude 9.2 quake struck. Within seconds, the waterfront began sliding into the bay. As Pederson ran up the dock toward shore, a tsunami lifted the tanker and rafts of debris onto the dock, knocking him unconscious.

Pederson survived, but more than 100 others in Alaska did not. His story is just one of more than 400 harrowing eyewitness accounts that bring such disasters to life in Tsunami. Written by geologist James Goff and oceanographer Walter Dudley, the book also weaves in accounts from researchers examining the geologic record to shed light on prehistoric tsunamis.

Chapter by chapter, Goff and Dudley offer readers a primer on tsunamis: Most are caused by undersea earthquakes, but some are triggered by landslides, the sudden collapse of volcanic islands or meteorites hitting the ocean (SN: 3/6/04, p. 152). Readers may be surprised to learn that tsunamis need not occur on the coast: Lake Tahoe (SN: 6/10/00, p. 378) and New Zealand’s Lake Tarawera are just two of many inland locales mentioned that have experienced freshwater tsunamis.

By continuing, you acknowledge that you are at least 13 years of age and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.  Under 13?  Check out Science News Explores.

Copiously illustrated and peppered with maps, the book takes readers on a world-spanning tour of ancient and recent tsunamis, from a deep-ocean impact off the coast of South America about 2.5 million years ago to numerous tsunamis of the 21st century. The authors’ somber treatment of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 stands out (SN: 1/8/05, p. 19). Triggered by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake, the megawave killed more than 130,000 people in Indonesia alone.

The authors — Goff is a professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and Dudley is a researcher at the University of Hawaii at Hilo — help readers understand tsunamis’ power via descriptions of the damage they’ve wrought. For instance, the account of a huge wave in Alaska that scoured mature trees from steep slopes along fjords up to a height of 524 meters — about 100 meters taller than the Empire State Building — may leave readers stunned. But it’s the heart-thumping stories of survivors who ran to high ground, clambered up tall trees or clung to debris after washing out to sea that linger with the reader. They remind us of the human cost of living on the shore when great waves strike.


Buy Tsunami from Bookshop.org. Science News is a Bookshop.org affiliate and will earn a commission on purchases made from links in this article.

Use up and down arrow keys to explore.Use right arrow key to move into the list.Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.Use tab key to enter the current list item.Use escape to exit the menu.Use the Shift key with the Tab key to tab back to the search input.
Logo

Looks like your ad blocker is on.

×

We rely on ads to keep creating quality content for you to enjoy for free.

Please support our site by disabling your ad blocker.

Continue without supporting us

Choose your Ad Blocker

  • Adblock Plus
  • Adblock
  • Adguard
  • Ad Remover
  • Brave
  • Ghostery
  • uBlock Origin
  • uBlock
  • UltraBlock
  • Other
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock Plus icon
  2. Click the large blue toggle for this website
  3. Click refresh
  1. In the extension bar, click the AdBlock icon
  2. Under "Pause on this site" click "Always"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Adguard icon
  2. Click on the large green toggle for this website
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ad Remover icon
  2. Click "Disable on This Website"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the orange lion icon
  2. Click the toggle on the top right, shifting from "Up" to "Down"
  1. In the extension bar, click on the Ghostery icon
  2. Click the "Anti-Tracking" shield so it says "Off"
  3. Click the "Ad-Blocking" stop sign so it says "Off"
  4. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock Origin icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the uBlock icon
  2. Click on the big, blue power button
  3. Refresh the page
  1. In the extension bar, click on the UltraBlock icon
  2. Check the "Disable UltraBlock" checkbox
  3. Marque la casilla de verificación "Desactivar UltraBlock"
  1. Please disable your Ad Blocker
  2. Disable any DNS blocking tools such as AdGuardDNS or NextDNS

If the prompt is still appearing, please disable any tools or services you are using that block internet ads (e.g. DNS Servers).