Megatsunami in the gulf Lituya — the natural disaster which has occurred on July 9, 1958 in the gulf Lituya in the southeast of Alaska. As a result of an earthquake measuring 8,3 the powerful landslide has descended from mountains. In waters of the gulf about 30 million cubic meters of stones and ice have collapsed. It has led to formation of a huge wave of a tsunami more than 500 meters high. It is the highest wave of a tsunami known to mankind. 5 people became the victims of a natural disaster. Epicenter was near ridge Ferueter approximately in 21 km to the southeast from the gulf Lituya. The earthquake was the strongest in this region more than in 50 years.
The earthquake has caused a subaeralny rockfall in the mouth of a glacier Gilbert in the gulf Lituya. As a result of this landslide more than 30 million cubic meters of rocks have failed to the gulf and have led to formation of a megatsunami. As a result of this catastrophic crash 5 people have died: three have died on the island Hantaak and has washed away two more a wave in the gulf. In Yakutat, the unique fixed settlement near epicenter, infrastructure facilities have been damaged: bridges, docks and oil pipelines.
After an earthquake research of the subglacial lake located to the northwest from a bend of a glacier of Lituya at the very beginning of the gulf was conducted. It has turned out that the lake has fallen by 30 meters. This fact has formed the basis for one more hypothesis of formation of a huge wave more than 500 meters high. Possibly, during a glacier descent large volume of water has got to the gulf through an ice tunnel under a glacier. However, the water drain from the lake could not be a basic reason of emergence of a megatsunami.
