A tsunami washed over the low-lying coastal resort region near Camaná,southern Peru, following a strong earthquake on June 23, 2001. The earthquake was one of the most powerful of the last 35 years and had a magnitude of 8.4. After the initial quake, coastal residents witnessed a sudden draw-down of the ocean and knew a tsunami was imminent. They had less than 20 minutes to reach higher ground before the tsunami hit. Waves as high as 8 meters came in four destructive surges reaching as far as 1.2 kilometers inland. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, and the combined earthquake and tsunami killed as many as 139 people.
Published Mar 17, 2002
Acquired in March 2011 and February 2012, these images document the recession of flood waters after the Tohoku tsunami.
Published Mar 13, 2012
This false-color image acquired on March 14, 2011, shows widespread flooding in tsunami-hit Ishinomaki, Japan.
Published Mar 15, 2011
A pair of before-and-after images reveals tsunami damage on the Tongan island of Niuatoputapu.
Published Oct 23, 2009
Acquired March 14, 2011, and March 1, 2007, these false-color images show the city of Rikuzentakata before and after a tsunami reshaped the local coastline.
Published Mar 18, 2011Image of the Day Land Water Floods Human Presence Earthquakes
One year after the tsunami, the landscape near the mouth of the Kitakami river remains irrevocably altered.
Published Mar 11, 2012
Even at great distances from their source, tsunami waves can grow by being focused and steered by underwater ridges.
Published Mar 12, 2012
