September 22, 1522 Tsunami: Alboran Sea, Spain

For this event, all references are foreign but they confirmed the observation of a tsunami in northern Morocco on the 22 September 1522. We could not find any information in Maghrebian documents. According to the letter sent to Marquis of Vila Real several tsunami waves were observed at the port of Almeria, between 08:00 and 09:00 a.m.; the village of Badis Ghomera, located close to the Mediterranean coast suffered the impact of the tsunami that flooded most of the village (Varelas, 1984). (reference #8635)

reliability 3 ( probable tsunami). According to Kaabouben et al., (2009), many foreign references are foreign report the observation of a tsunami in northern Morocco on the 22 September 1522.. A letter sent to Marquis of Vila Real reports that several tsunami waves were observed at the port of Almeria, between 08:00 and 09:00 a.m.; the village of Bades Ghomera (today Badés) , located close to the Mediterranean coast suffered the impact of the tsunami that flooded most of the village. Strong evidence for tsunami effects in Bades Ghomera, on the Morocco Mediterranean coast, where both the effect of giant sea waves and a devastating earthquake are described in the archive municipal. (reference #11164)

In any case, there are documents that indicate the existence of a tsunami associated with the earthquake, such as the September 22 minutes of the Ecclesiastical Council of Almeria where a great earthquake is described with reference to a tsunami: “...The city was submerged in most of it, under the waves of the Mediterranean.” and a wood carving made in 1523 illustrating the event showing drowning people, sinking ships and damage to the dock buildings. Other authors show evidence of this tsunami in the sedimentary record of Cabo de Gata in Almeria. [unofficial translation] (reference #13515)

Reference #12955 lists as questionable tsunami