Skymet weather

A mega Tsunami with 800 foot wave battered Cape Verde Islands

October 4, 2015 10:27 AM |

A mega Tsunami with 800 foot wave battered Cape Verde IslandsScientists have made an amazing discovery of finding evidence of a mega tsunami off West Africa in Cape Verde Islands 73,000 years ago. The mega tsunami was triggered by a volcano which collapsed back then resulting in an 800 foot high wave.

This mega tsunami is said to be the highest seen on geological records and the wave was as high as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The event took place at the Fogo Islands, which is also known as one of the largest and most active volcanoes in the world.

The tsunami was so powerful that it travelled around 30 miles to the island of Santiago and flew over a 600 foot cliff. Huge boulders on top of the island have been found, which were carried by this mega tsunami.

According to scientists, such catastrophic mega tsunami could happen again. The Fogo volcano did out of nowhere become active last year after remaining dormant for several years. On November 23, 2014 the biggest volcanic eruption had destroyed two villages.

If comparisons are to be drawn, the 2004 Tsunami which literally destroyed the Indian Ocean’s coast had only reached 100 feet. Also, the tsunami was a result of the earthquake faults under the sea and not due to any volcanic collapses.

Usually Tsunamis only affect areas lying close to the coast. However, there have been two devastating tsunamis which have made us realize that these incidents are not as rare as we think they are. Scientists say that such catastrophic event as in the Cape Verde Islands is not impossible. The question arises as to how prepared are we to face such a brutal disaster?

Image Credit: creepypasta.wikia.com






For accurate weather forecast and updates, download Skymet Weather (Android App | iOS App) App.

Other Latest Stories







latest news

Skymet weather

Download the Skymet App

Our app is available for download so give it a try