July 17th, 1998

On July 17th, 1998 a 7.1 magnitude earthquake occurred on the coast of Papua New Guinea. Approximately 20 minutes later a series of 3 large waves hammered the nearby shores. Initial estimates were that the waves were between 7 and 10 meters high. Upon further investigation it was found that the waves actually reached 15 meters high in some areas.

The heavy damage was focused to a relative small portion of the coast. Most of the damage occurred between the villages of Aitape and Sissano. Especially hurt was the village of Arop which was located on a sand spit off the coast that protected Sissano Lagoon. After the Tsunami there was nothing left of the village. The first reports stated that around 70 were confirmed dead and 100’s missing. The officials in Papua New Guinea made statements saying that they were expecting 300-500 deaths.

 

The United State Geological Survey created an animated computer simulation showing how the tsunami was generated and spread across the ocean. Above is a snapshot of the simulation. Click the image for a link to the real animation.

 

A quote from a July 18 th, 1998 CNN article:

"The wave, estimated at between 23 feet and 33 feet high, wreaked havoc across a northwest coastal region about 60 miles (96 km) long. The massive wave was caused by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake that struck the coast near the seaport town of Aitape."

-With research all of these facts would be proven incorrect.