A report marking 271 years since a tsunami devastated Portugal says the event also crossed the Atlantic and produced waves of nearly two meters on the southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil. The estimated waves reached 1.9 meters in Tamararé and flooded almost four kilometers inland, according to the account.
The report links the tsunami to the Lisbon earthquake, which it dates to 1755 and describes as having an estimated magnitude of eight to nine and destroying the Portuguese capital. It says the earthquake generated a tsunami whose waves spread across the Atlantic.
A study released by the Brazilian Seismographic Network gathered historical documents, simulations and sediments to investigate whether the event reached Brazil. The evidence led researchers to Pernambuco, where they found layers of marine sand consistent with a high-energy flood.
Researchers also warned that the danger goes beyond wave height. They explained that ordinary waves break at intervals of seconds, while intervals between tsunami waves can last minutes. The water flow can advance over land like a rapid flood, and even without a very high wave, the force and prolonged advance of water can cause major damage.
Sources: CNN Brasil.