The Pacific tsunami warning system

Of all natural disasters, tsunamis are among the most terrifying and complex phenomena, responsible for great loss of lives and vast destruction of property. Enormous destruction of coastal communities has taken place throughout the world by such great waves since the beginning of recorded history.

The impact of tsunamis on human societies can be traced back in written history to 480 BC, when the Minoan civilization in the Eastern Mediterranean was wiped out by great tsunami waves generated by the volcanic explosion of the island of Santorin. In the Pacific Ocean where the majority of these waves have been generated, the historical record, although brief, shows tremendous destruction. In Japan which has one of the most populated coastal regions in the world and a long history of earthquake activity, tsunamis have destroyed entire coastal communities. There is also history of tsunami destruction in Alaska, in Hawaiian Islands, and in South America.