top of page
GEOGRAPHY
Physical - Natural Disasters
Tallest Waves
This list features the tallest waves ever recorded in history.
RANK | LOCATION | REGION | HEIGHT | YEAR |
1 | Lituya Bay, Alaska | United States | 30.5 m (100.1 ft) | 1958 |
2 | South Georgia Island | Antarctica | 25.9 m (85.0 ft) | 2004 |
3 | Tōhoku Tsunami | Japan | 23.8 m (78.1 ft) | 2011 |
4 | Praia do Norte, Nazaré | Portugal | 20.3 m (66.6 ft) | 2017 |
5 | Arecibo | Puerto Rico | 19.2 m (63.0 ft) | 1986 |
6 | Unnamed | Norway | 18.3 m (60.0 ft) | 2004 |
7 | Cahuilla, California | United States | 17.0 m (55.8 ft) | 2006 |
8 | Hurricane Ivan | Gulf of Mexico | 16.0 m (52.5 ft) | 2004 |
9 | Big Wave Surfing, Teahupo'o | Tahiti | 15.5 m (50.9 ft) | 2011 |
10 | Prowling Reef | New Zealand | 14.5 m (47.6 ft) | 2018 |
References
A. F. H. M. (2007). Analysis of Wind Wave Climate in Southern California. California Energy Commission. [online] Available at: https://www.energy.ca.gov/2007publications/CEC-500-2007-087/CEC-500-2007-087.PDF [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Furevik, T. and Drange, H. (2004). Variability in North Atlantic Storminess and Its Relationship to North Atlantic Oscillation. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, D19101. [online] Available at: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2004JD005185 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
K. C. (2011). Extreme Wave Analysis and Surfing at Teahupo'o. Journal of Coastal Research, 27(6), pp.1211–1220. [online] Available at: https://www.jcronline.org/doi/abs/10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-10-00126.1 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
K. P. (2018). Analysis of Wave Data at Prowling Reef. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 52(3), pp.350–360. [online] Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00288330.2018.1459608 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Kelleners, T. and Lima, A. (2018). The Nazaré Wave Project: Big Wave Surfing in Portugal. Coastal Engineering, 134, pp.92–104. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378432017310992 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Koshimura, S. and Tanioka, Y. (2012). Estimation of tsunami wave height based on the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. Coastal Engineering Journal, 54(3), 1250013. [online] Available at: https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0578563412500132 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
O'Farrell, S. and D'Arcy, K. (2006). The Impact of Climate Change on Antarctic Glacial Systems. Antarctic Science, 18(1), pp.45–54. [online] Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/impact-of-climate-change-on-antarctic-glacial-systems/6C2F006DE1B0D89D68B6A2BB23356DD1 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Pasch, R.J. (2005). Hurricane Ivan: A record-breaking storm. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [online] Available at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=79260 [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
Post, J. (1959). The Lituya Bay Tsunami, Alaska. Geological Survey Professional Paper 954. [online] Available at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0954/report.pdf [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
USGS. (1986). Great Waves: The Arecibo Wave of 1986. [online] Available at: https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1986/1051/circ1051.pdf [Accessed 6 Jul. 2025].
SCALA
lists
bottom of page