Mega-Tsunami: Lake Tahoe.mov

This movie shows a physics-based computer simulation of a Mega Tsunami that
occurred in Lake Tahoe about forty thousand years ago. The tsunami parented from a massive landslide on the Lake's west side. Imagine such a event today!
For more tsunami and natural hazard information visit es.ucsc.edu/~ward.

[@pahtar7189]

One interesting aspect to a Tahoe tsunami is that the lake has an outlet. Each slosh would send a huge flood surge down Truckee River, devastating anyone downstream. Those surges would take water out of the lake so each future slosh would have less water than the previous one, and the lake would settle at a lower level than it was before the collapse. It would refill normally of course, but for a time the water level would be lower.

[@sonder7971]

When I was 6 years old, I did this in my bath tub... it was total devastation for my sisters cat. The wave slowly built, breached the dam and that little bastard never came into the bathroom again.

[@mynameislisa2281]

How is it that no one is amused by this comment? So funny!

[@a2point083]

mynameislisa Oop cuz this video has like no views

[@mecha7419]

Poor cat

[@fubarlife7776]

@@a2point083 LMFAO

[@fubarlife7776]

@@mecha7419 kitty likes water 🤪

[@kirtroguestar471]

Great simulation. The only things; the tsunami you’re talking about is not a tsunami, but a Seiche Wave as this phenomenon exists only in small bodies of water, i.e. lakes, reservoirs, etc. and the debris you speak of are rocks and dirt, not blocks.

[@crppgangreppa]

I enjoyed the cute snippy attitude of the text narration.

[@pyrotechnick420]

it would be neat to use Unreal Engine 5 to create a more photoreal depiction of what happened.

[@Trevor.OKeefe]

Although it is commonly believed that Lake Tahoe was formed by the collapse of a volcanic crater, the Basin was actually formed by the rise and fall of the landscape due to faulting. About 24 million years ago the Sierra Nevada block was formed by tremendous uplifting. Two principal faults evolved: the eastern margin created the Carson Range, while the Sierra Nevada developed on the western side. From the "up thrown" fault blocks, the highest peaks in the region originated while the "down thrown" block sank creating a large valley. Lava flowing from Mt. Pluto on the north shore, then formed a barrier or dam across the Basin's ancestral outlet, the Truckee River. Water from snowfall and streams flow into the Basin, gradually creating a lake several hundred feet higher than the present lake. Eventually a new outlet was eroded from the lava dam creating the present path of the Lower Truckee River. Following the faulting and volcanic period of the Basin, an Ice Age developed. Huge glaciers formed and moved down the V-shaped canyons on the western side of the lake. These glaciers scoured away loose rock and reshaped the canyons into broad U-shaped valleys. The rock and gravel left behind at the sides and end of these melting glaciers are called moraines. As these glaciers melted away, they also left behind brilliant bays, jagged peaks, glacial polished ridges and crystal clear lakes.

[@WhirledPublishing]

Hundreds of historic documents say your theory is unsubstantiated. Do you have proof that can refute hundreds of historic documents?

[@anthonyagnelneri4076]

ohyespls thanks for the science FACTS...very interesting no audio though?

[@brandontherobloxboiyt9214]

😳😳😏😮😏😮😏😏😏🙄🙄🙄😮😮😮

[@infledermaus]

I haven't looked this up, but I'd tend to agree. Pacific plate vs. North American plate shoved all the Sierras up didn't it? I'd better look it up. I hate being wrong. The earthquake storm in Reno a few years ago was a result of this action according to the USGS. Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Learning Center quote about the ice age.

[@helenjackman8984]

B S!

[@dnbphoto]

Amazing computer simulation.

[@fubarlife7776]

Impressive 👍

[@MichaelSnyder1776]

Can't stop watching these videos they are great 😊

[@StevenMcQ]

I'll create a video response that includes a stereo 3D visualization of the Lake Tahoe Tsunami using Steven Ward's data, which he generously furnished for Lake Tahoe in Depth. His Mega-Tsunami video here provides more detail than that earlier version, but the whole movie is a good orientation to science at Lake Tahoe. It is shown at the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Incline Village, in stereo 3D.

[@wavy9888]

I had a similar dream about this except mines was in Oakland. It was soo crazy

[@MinogFarted]

Who is Joe?

[@wavy9888]

@@MinogFarted biden

[@gaminawulfsdottir3253]

A really well-done video marred by failure to understand that "lay" is the past tense of the verb "to lie." 0:30 Should be "Massive blocks lie scattered across the floor." Otherwise, nicely presented. Really appreciate the absence of melodramatic music.

[@Trevor.OKeefe]

Actually Mt. Pluto made that debris when it errupted due to 2 earthquake faults besides the lake over 2 million years ago. :)

[@wavy9888]

FBI CAN THERE. BE TSUNAMIS IN LAKES?

[@NyuuMikuru1]

There was a landslide in Alaska in the 50s above the lake. Waves wiped out trees up to 100' height, all that left after all those years is Alder trees where pines used to be. Source National Geographic.

[@infledermaus]

There was an earthquake that caused a landslide into Latoya Bay in 1959 that drove a wave 1700 feet (maybe 1500 feet, higher than the Empire State Building) up the side of the mountain across from the slide. Is that the one you're talking about? The resulting wave out of the bay was 100+ feet high and ripped all the trees off the shore. One man and his kid survived it by being washed up over the trees and back down suffering no damage to the boat they were in. There is at least one documentary here on KZbin and probably more. 1500 feet. Now that's a MEGA tsunami! Here's a simulation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXTRZWtmlLmInbs

[@tachiera]

Lake tahoe is in nevada

[@jpstenino]

Very much appreciate your work.

[@swithinbarclay4797]

I hope that The Authorities are aware, that something like this could happen again, if the geologic evidence, likelihood still remains. If there is enough lead time, then a massive evacuation is obviously required. Let's HOPE that it isn't during the height of an impressive ski season, when The Basin's population is swollen upwards of a million souls. An event like this would take out ALL the cities ringing The Lake, reaching Christmas Valley, which runs up to Luther Pass, and, on the other end, the wash would race down the canyon, taking out the base communities of Alpine/Squaw, then to threaten Truckee, I-80, and Donner Lake. Probably, it would take about a hundred years, before all the debris is cleaned up; infrastructure reinstalled; and, for people have the heart to move back in. Perhaps Reno/Sparks could experience damage, too?

[@sdbassin1143]

A narrator would have made this soo much better

[@beardedkraken382]

Large displacement causes a seiche.

[@timtravasos2742]

You don't want to be on the south shore if that happens again.

[@josayahuma2373]

... Best regards and congratulations for the great simulation, I see that the program to use is your responsibility, you can get it in some way, through payment ?? Thank you very much...

[@jamesfea4663]

Seiche...not tsunami.

[@UmmCarl]

I've been told for decades that tsunami's travel at almost 400 miles an hour, how the hell does it take 5 minutes to cross the lake? Is it something like 35 miles wide?

[@kirtroguestar471]

Carl Swanson actually that lake is 12 miles wide.

[@user-mh2bw4hu3o]

It depends on how deep the water is. Waves in shallow water travel much slower than in deeper water.

[@DekaShiriBea]

Nice visual. It is in no way a "mega-tsunami" because the volume of water that can be displaced at once is limited --> depth not enough --> large tsunamis happen when movement occur in deep parts of the ocean/water body.... but nice visual.

[@WhirledPublishing]

The tsunami was launched by a submarine landslide in the Pacific - geologists rarely do enough research to come up with several sources to prove the when, where, how and why.

[@eshwarkumar8138]

Whirled Publishing tf. If your supposed tsunami was tall enough to reach Tahoe, it would have ripped a hole in the Sierra.

[@ras351]

When mt st Helen's erupted the flank collapsed into spirit lake, which was smaller and shallower than tahoe. It produced a wave on the opposite side of the lake about 300 meters high.

[@anniehaydon4646]

Scary stuff. Well done 👍

[@JuniorAviation2017]

Watching this, I feel like going swimming now

[@gtfball10]

Thanks for creating!

[@intreoo]

If this tsunami occurred today, asides from annihilating the entire coastline, the city of Reno would likely be flooded too. I don't know how much, but I'd assume that it'd be pretty devastating.

[@yousifatobiya7279]

The occurrence of stoms,rains,ice, and floods at times and in unexpected places, is sill under control or balance... But about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, sinkholes, tsunami, dry lakes and rivers, flow of water from the mountains and hills,explodeand of eyes water from the ground, formation of new mountains or islands, collaps of mountains ,and cracks on ground,they are out of control or balance... Yousif A Tobiya Forcibly displaced

[@Kay0Bot]

If the mega tsunami happens, the lake will once again be uninhabited

[@allenpeck8239]

Great video… Really good work that you put into this thanks for the post

[@Mekratrig]

As big as it woze, a lake tsunami isno a real mega tsunami. Gotta have an ocean wave for that.

[@WhirledPublishing]

It was an ocean tsunami - he just didn't do the research to give him the source, the cause, the date, etc., but his animation is helpful.

[@dragonmaster7841]

Lake Tahoe was filled by a guy with a garden hose. Legend has it of course.

[@pbDEMON]

I thought it was Paul Bunyan taking a leak that filled it?

[@caroldavis5383]

CAN'T READ THE WHITE LETTERS OM THE LIGHT BACKGROUND...HOW ABOUT BLACK LETTERS THAT CAN BE READ...THX

[@richardanthonygilbey]

If debris traversed the whole lake you probably have underestimated the shove, and the waves height and power. Deafening

[@barry_kelly]

Why show this now? Is someone planning to duplicate this and call it a natural occurrence?

[@dornixrex2818]

kelly barry why?

[@mikelynchjr1030]

Just a matter of time! Always is!

[@darrellmoore1743]

Rubicon is the next to go!

[@stevenroth5424]

Not all that big of deal prior to humans putting structures all around Lake Tahoe. Guess will just keep enjoying it as it is.

[@updownstate]

Nice graphic

[@camow6993]

why is this in my recommended

[@robertofrank5163]

Whatever... Lituya Bay holds the record for the highest wave with 524 meter and this is named a "Mega-Tsunami". If you need some sources, google for "Lituya Bay" and you will find. "The giant wave runup of 1,720 feet (524 m.) at the head of the Bay and the subsequent huge wave along the main body of Lituya Bay which occurred on July 9, 1958, were caused primarily by an enormous subaerial rockfall into Gilbert Inlet at the head of Lituya Bay, triggered by dynamic earthquake ground motions along the Fairweather Fault."

[@DavidLee-wj9sp]

Ya .bodies standing up. Dead circus elephant fell in. Tessies between 25 and 40 feet long. Dude. Drowned himself .tied himself to his boat. on island.

[@produceroscar9706]

this 27 Jun 2013 is same as avicii wake me up

[@mjulanegandee3656]

"Uninhabited" humans are so dense.

[@FredHerrman]

This was great.

[@The_Devil_Himself]

Jesus.....around 70,000 people live in the Tahoe Basin, and they would all have about 5-7 minutes to book it.

[@georgiaconti1667]

To whomever made the comment; the earthquake in Alaska you are referring to made a tsunami wave 1,500 feet tall! Not 100 feet tall. A whole side of a mountain fell into an inlet. The biggest wave ever formed on earth, anywhere! Or so they say!

[@gregparrott]

Jeesh, the number keeps growing and growing. Now, you're saying it was 1500 feet. Sorry, I have to call 'Bullshit'. But at least I cite a source... Verbatim: "The largest tsunami wave was recorded in Shoup Bay, Alaska, with a height of about 220 ft (67 m)." At Richter 9.2, the '64 quake was the big one en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Alaska_earthquake

[@Exosphere._]

Gregory Parrott You and the OP are talking about two completely different tsunami waves that struck Alaska. It sounds like he is referring to the 1958 Lituya Bay Mega Tsunami which would have been 6 years prior to the one you are referring to.

[@hmxr715]

The longer it's been since the last tsunami event the sooner it is to the next.

[@a2point083]

Di&Ce did you know you joined KZbin a couple months after I was born in March 2009

[@hmxr715]

@@a2point083 OMG! you're only 11 years old. ru a girl?

[@a2point083]

Di&Ce yes but I don’t look 11

[@hmxr715]

@@a2point083 how old do you look? lol Don't worry, I'm not a stalker.

[@a2point083]

Di&Ce well a child but 5’5

[@infledermaus]

Isn't a mega tsunami like 1000 or more feet high such as Latoya Bay, Alaska, tsunami in 1959 and the main reason it's called a * MEGA * tsunami? 50 meters is barely higher than the Japanese tsunami (124' highest run up), not that it was small by anybody's description. Or is the bay tsunami what you call a huge super ultra giant enormous tsunami monster? I'm confused. ;-) Just kidding. Not confused. In fact, since this is in a lake, it's called a seiche. Yeah, this isn't even a tsunami since it's not a harbor wave from the ocean or sea. It's mistitled. It's a seiche. See below. A lake wave similar to a swimming pool wave like in an earthquake. seiche sā(t)SH/ noun A temporary disturbance or oscillation in the water level of a lake or partially enclosed body of water, especially one caused by changes in atmospheric pressure. I know. I'm one of those fact checking fuckers that ruins everything for everyonee who doesn't like facts. Awww.

[@timomastosalo]

Is it also in a vulcanic zone?

[@timomastosalo]

@@psillymama I was thinkimg it's close there. I'm European, never visited the States, but I've heard of he lake, and know of the Californian fault line, though not the exact place. Is it between the 2 forks of the Rockies, or in the San Bernardino Valley? Or do they both have a fault line?

[@SandeepSingh-mx4kh]

Wait I thought this was fortnight from the thumbnail

[@yousifatobiya7279]

The new effects of climate change: Water levels continue to drop at lake Mead,Powell&Colorado river basin,which feeds the two reservoirs has been drying out over the last two decades... These phenomenons because of the end of the second theory of climate change and global warming(dynamic vertical movement ),dry lakes and rivers has a bad results on climate change... Yousif A Tobiya Forcibly displaced

[@OpheliaPG]

Port of Los Angeles CA. Please :)

[@victorstok3502]

wat is lake tahoe? Echt niet iedereen kent dit hoor. Beetje vreemd geformuleerd

[@Achdus5772]

Seriously? 50 meters in height is 164 feet!!

[@fUjiMaNia]

Achdus5774 hahaa that's what I thought too, I mean 50M that's two Olympic pools stacked vertically come on, I say this is bull. Maybe 10-15 Meters around 32-50 feet tops ;-) Edit: Horizontal not Vertically

[@skye1355]

leefuji that's 1 Olympic pool standing vertically (25m x 50m).

[@fUjiMaNia]

Skye13 Horizontal I meant to say, thanks for the correction. ***** we both aren't experts but 50 Meters is a joke just so you know based on the scenario in this video.

[@johnwanderin2524]

It's possible if a large enough area is displaced in a contained space. For example, drop a brick in one of those Olympic sized pools, then drop a brick in your bathtub and tell me what happens.

[@jquest43]

+fUjiMaNia good thing you are here to prevent big wave analysis.

[@BlankUberEverybody]

Technically, I dont think this qualifies as Tsunami. The literal translation from the Japanese is "Harbor Wave" which originates as the rapid displacement displacement of the sea bed. Ocean tsunamis can be generated by landslides but its not very common. This even reminds me more of the Lituya Bay Alaska wave back in the 1950s--it too was generated by a slide of glacier ice and rocks/dirt originating above the sea surface.

[@billyw.bandit4952]

Thank you for sharing your strategy sire.

[@Mrbfgray]

*Keep Tahoe Brown*

[@seehearspeaknoevil5090]

I almost fell 😴

[@toericabaker]

Y'all better be digging for fossils between the 40,000 line

[@MtnLiner]

One thing we can all agree on... Lake Tahoe is the dope smoking capital of the world.

[@lightningmacqueen4097]

I soooo would have surfed that 50m wave and then I wudda just stepped off my surfboard on the other side of the lake on to dry land and I wouldn't have even gotten wet. Well, maybe. Then, the only problem is, I'd be 40,025 years old now so I don't even know if I'd actually be posting on KZbin. I'd more likely be concerned about my FeedingTube.

[@anthonyagnelneri4076]

Lightning MacQueen LOL

[@bellapatel910]

Thank you - Good to know.

[@davejones5640]

I wish it would happen again.

[@FfFf-gi1hd]

Why? Wtf

[@joeluebbers5474]

There was a great flood 4000 years ago, remember? A tsunami, no.

[@dennishensley1150]

Wanna make a sunnami, detonate a large bomb or nuclear or bunker buster and you have a ............., yeah .

[@ohyeahyeah5580]

I live here

[@sinecosine7493]

What program do you use?

[@ingomar200]

Roblox Lets play All the simulations on Ingomar200 are created by a program of my own design. Fortran code is used for the physics-based computation. Each pixel is colored, then projected and shaded using geometrical principles. I choose camera angle and 'fly by' routes for best effect. The movie frames are output in Postscript.These are then assembled into Quicktime movies.

[@sinecosine7493]

Oh cool!

[@jamesmorgan403]

The lake over spilled.. it's not a tsunami.

[@no1showfur]

I couldn't hear the audio, very interesting tho........

[@the1spen]

Let me save you five minutes. Dirt fell in, and muddy water squished all over the sides of the big puddle.

[@Lexi-lb7ie]

You need some milk

[@dornixrex2818]

Lexi lol

[@savingangels]

Nice pixels hiding what can't be hidden. Yeah I know

[@reneesmokey5847]

Pluu'toa the walking mountain woke up a few times....ASK THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE...THEY ARE THE ONES TO TRIED TO HELP DONNERS!!!

[@WhirledPublishing]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@douggardner460]

Why because your not rich?

[@marsp0p]

bro those aren’t rocks at the bottom they’re bodies smh

[@401rach]

damn piranha always causing trouble out there .... joking aside nice video!

[@yousifatobiya7279]

Three theories or forces dominate or control upon the planet of the earth... First:The force or theory that dominates upon the atmosphere is the end of the of the first theory of climate change and global warming (dynamic horizontal movement)... Second:The force or theory that dominates upon Tsunami,earthquakes,volcanic eruptions,sinkholes,dry lakes and rivers,flow of sweet water from the bank of dead sea, eyes of water explode and spill in the desert of Sudi Arabia, the formation of new mountains or islands,collaps of mountains ,& ,& ,&... Now the number of the earthquakes is more than 50 daily, and the number of the volcanic eruptions, is more than two monthly, &, & ,& ... Third:The water is revolving or orbiting the earth... It's very sorry to say that the earth will be like a planet of Venues... NOTE :The earth has a new orbit... These studies had completed and sent on July 26th 2000... Yousif A Tobiya Forcibly displaced

[@charachoppel3116]

Never heard of Lake Tahoe. Where exactly is it? Ok, looked it up on Google Maps. Now I know.

[@billcornelius1383]

40k years ago it would have been surrounded by glacier

[@user-dm4lt1xv6y]

Most people don’t know tahoe lol

[@gondusumfin2305]

I know that ho but not Tahoe

[@HeyKevinYT]

wow

[@theni5985]

big wave

[@theni5985]

wow so big 164 wave

[@MommiDonni1]

Who is here after reading about a tsunami risk in lake tahoe?🧐

[@neil2385]

lol, 5 minutes

[@rahkinrah1963]

yeah...so?

[@brahmin21]

whoah...

[@MrDaltons123]

????????????

[@reneesmokey5847]

ASK A WASHO ELDER...NOT IMMIGRANTS...JACQUES COUSTEAU SAW IT AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HE SAW N SAID...

[@easeow]

beep

[@4cjsmile69]

No no no not true

[@brainclerk4431]

don't like cartoons

[@jakeweg4886]

*cough* flood *cough*

[@Robby4291]

A COMPUTER "SIM" ONLY displayes YOUR initital ASSUMPTIONS...if ONE of them IS WRONG you get the RESULTS of that MISTAKE!!

[@viiiderekae]

Lake TOUHOU 😂

[@dayanaranicolevasquezmocha7509]

0:42 minecraft

[@BlueDroneBlues]

164 foot wave in Lake Tahoe. Yea, right!

[@joseescobedo7899]

I live in truckee and make Tahoe it a mile form me so the towns closest to the lake (kings beach Tahoe city etc) they would be obliterated

[@kendallwilson6654]

Legodog890 the south shore too

[@Axgoodofdunemaul]

It's okay with me if the rich people who have blighted Lake Tahoe are all wiped out some summer night.

WTF, who,s smoking Medical Excuse weed.

[@hunsadersrockinranch]

Hogwash!