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When a tsunami gets into the coast we are approximately at 0 meters above average sea level (AASL). And then it starts ascending in the uphill land... 1m AASL... 2,3... 5,10 m AASL etc.

That is exactly my question. What is the highest altitude a tsunami has ever reached? Maybe it always remains in low level, like 10 or 15 meters above average sea level or there are records about 40-50 meters? Is there a confirmed record? Records after renaissance or ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese etc could be considered reliable?

PS: I am not talking about its height while it is in sea or when it crashes the coast. I am talking about the highest land altitude that a tsunami has ever reached much later after its crashing in coast.

PS2: I understand that my question is not clear and it has vagueness, so I will try to clarify it. Every point in the surface of Earth has coordinates (with respect to North and East). And each unique point has an altitude. Two examples: a) The point with coordinates 27.9881° N, 86.9250° E has altitude 8848 meters. It is Everest's summit. b) The point with coordinates 36°34′N 21°8′E has altitude - 5267 m. It is Calypso Deep, the deepest point of Mediterranean.

So, my question, I look for a specific point on the Earth with the maximum altitude A and coordinates B North and C East in which the sea water has ever reached (let's focus on relatively recent years after renaissance). As I understand this can happen only by phenomena like big waves or tsunamis. There is no something else. So where is this point and what is its altitude? In that case, we don't care about the height or the momentum of the wave. Also the accuracy is not so important... Just an idea "when a tsunami climbed a mountain".

About Lituya Bay in Alaska... There is a mountain there: Fairweather with altitude 4671 m... So the tsunami in 1958 ascended 524 m in this mountain? Why I think it didn't even pass 100 m altitude? The height of a wave is completely different and independent with the highest altitude it finally reaches.

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  • $\begingroup$ I think you have to specify just what you're asking a bit more precisely. Do you want historic records or geological evidence of ones in the distant past? Do you want classic tsunamis as triggered by undersea earthquakes, or will a splash like the Lituya Bay one count? Or the even bigger splashes of asteroid impacts like Chicxulub? Lots of info can be found with a simple Google search for "largest tsunami". $\endgroup$
    – jamesqf
    Dec 30, 2019 at 5:49
  • $\begingroup$ I clarrified my question. Look above. $\endgroup$
    – nwo
    Dec 30, 2019 at 21:32

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The worlds highest recorded tsunami occurred during a landslide triggered by an earthquake in 1958 in Lituya Bay, Alaska. The landslide sent the water 524 meters high the other side of the valley and left its contours in the vegetation. According to whitnesses, it lifted a glacier tip above the surrounding mountain tops.

https://geology.com/records/biggest-tsunami.shtml

https://earthquake.alaska.edu/60-years-ago-1958-earthquake-and-lituya-bay-megatsunami

I think this was the highest run-up on records (let's see if i get topped). But there probably occurred higher ones in earth's history. Candidates are asteroid impacts (e.g. Chicxulub) or flank collapses on volcanic islands.

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  • $\begingroup$ About Lituya Bay in Alaska..so there is a mountain there: Fairweather with altitude 4671 m... So the tsunami in 1958 ascended 524 m in this mountain? Why i think it didn't even pass 100 m altitude? The height of a wave is completely different and independent with the highest altitude it finally reaches. $\endgroup$
    – nwo
    Dec 30, 2019 at 21:33

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