A model created by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency’s Center for Tsunami Research in the hours after the recent earthquake in Chile, which measured 8.8 on the Richter Scale, provided an early and accurate forecast of the mild tsunami waves that eventually reached Hawaii and other Pacific coastal communities. Researchers used seismic information, wave measurements collected from buoy-based equipment, and computer modeling technology to predict the maximum wave amplitude, wave arrival time, and the extent of wave inundation. The colors illustrate the maximum computed tsunami amplitude in centimeters during the 24 hours after the quake, with the highest waves in purple and red and smaller waves in orange and yellow. The red triangles represent buoys.

2010 Tsunami | 1960 Tsunami