An anomalous tsunami engulfed The Carribean coast of Colombia, flooding different parts of the coast near Santa Marta on July 19, 2017.
Officials say the small but sudden sea level rise – 50 cm / 1.6 feet – took place around 13:20 UTC (08:20 local time) and was not due to astronomical causes or associated with events like the passage of tropical cyclones… So what?
Residents of Pueblo Viejo, coastal municipality of the Magdalena and contiguous to Ciénaga said the phenomenon caused the sea to recede about 100 m (328 feet) followed by a large wave, similar to a tsunami.
The mysterious tsunami event is currently being investigated by the Colombian Maritime Authorty. First investigations indicate that the wave has no seismic origin and may hae been triggered by an underwater landslide.
40 minutes after the first event, another tsunami – smaller in intensity – was registered at 09:00 local time by another tide gauge situated in Ballenas.
The agency finally said: “Such events can not be predicted. However, as there is no evidence of tectonic origin of the event, it is not expected to be repeated in the near future.”
How was this mini tsunami created along the Caribbean coast of Colombia?
