April 7, 1934 Tsunami: Tafjord, Norway

About 3:07 a.m. local time, a rockslide from Langhammaran mountain fell from a height of 730 meters, and 2-3 million m3 of rock fell into the fjord and created a tsunami [flodbolgjer] that reached a maximum of 62-64 meters in height. Three major waves occurred. 40 people were killed and villages were destroyed. (reference #3966)

Large rock slides represent one of the most serious natural hazards in Norway, as exemplified by the Tafjord disaster of 1934 when 2 - 3 million m3 rock mass and scree material dropped into the fjord (Jørstad, F. 1968). The tsunami generated by the slide reached a maximum of 62 m above sea level, and several villages were destroyed. 41 people were killed by the tsunami. (reference #3964)

Tafjord is one of the innermost inlets of Storfjorden in western Norway. On April 7, 1934, 1.5 x 106 m3 of rock fell from the wall of the fjord, mobilised the talus cone below, and entered the sea. The tsunami produced by the landslide reached a maximum height of 62 m above sea level. Geological mapping reveals many slide scars on the slopes above the fjord, and about 10 large rock-avalanche deposits have been detected at the bottom of the fjord through bathymetrical and seismic investigations. (reference #4921)

Rock slide in the fjord Tafjorden in Norddal, Sunnmøre. 2-3 millions cubic metres of rock and scree. The upper part released from about 730 m above the fjord Tafjorden, Norddal, western Norway. Wave noticeable 90 km away. Run-up heights exceeding 30 m in five locations, 62.3 m next to slide. Large destructions in the villages Fjøra and Tafjord. 40 perished. Three giant waves with 3-5 minutes in between and subsequent oscillations indicate wave energy trapping and standing waves excitation. (reference #4139)

The Tafjord is the inner part of the Norddalsfjord that is a branch of the Storfjord at Sunnmere. western Norway. The length of the Tafjord is about 9 km from the innermost village Tafjord to the village Fjora. The depth is about 200-220 m and the average width a little more than 1 km. There is no sill in the bend between Fjora and Sylte. Depth contour lines are depicted in Fig.2. The position of the slide area is shown in Fig.1. The upper part of the slide was released from about 730 m above the fjord. Before the slide, the main rock reposed on a fault plane with an inclination varying from 35° on top to 45° by the fjord. The rock slide consisting of gneiss, constituted a volume of 1,000,000- 1,500,000 m^3 with an estimated mass of 4,000.000-5,000,000 tons. Beneath the rock a moraine scree named Heggura, of at least the same volume, was released. According to the eye witnesses the Tafjord village was hit by three separated huge waves, at 3- to 5-min intervals. (reference #3840)

According to eye witnesses there were 3 waves of which the last was the largest. Others expressed the first one as being the smallest. That the last wave was the largest coincides with the fact that at several locations it was possible to find traces of only one wave. As at Loen it would appear that the wave height could vary considerably within short distances. The maximum wave height of 62.3 metres was found 200 metres towards the head or south-east of the slide area, i.e. on the same side of the fjord as the slide. Wave heights in excess of 30 metres were, however, only found across from the slide area and at two locations further towards the head of the fjord [...] The information available is not detailed enough to state with certainty what types of waves occurred. (reference #13255)