Recognized as the Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis, USGS data show Some of the most dangerous started from earthquakes along Alaska’s Aleutian Islands between 1938-1965, where Pacific coastal communities have experienced several devastating tsunamis over these past decades. New research on the Aleutian Islands offers better insights into past great Alaska earthquakes and the dangerous, often far-reaching tsunamis they send across the Pacific.

The USGS works with many partners to improve our understanding of how and when they occur as well as improve our ability to provide warnings about these potentially devastating events.

View the Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis infographic: The Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis.

Learn more about the Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis in this feature from American Geophysical Union: Seismic Sources in the Aleutian Cradle of Tsunamis.

Watch a tsunami animation: Tsunamis Generated by Megathrust Earthquakes (IRIS)