[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by David

The Peru-Chile Subduction Zone is right off the west coast of South America. It's BIG. In fact, it's the cause of the biggest earthquake ever measured on Earth (1960's magnitude 9.5). Like all oceanic subduction zones (Sumatra, Cascadia, etc.), it creates tsunamis powerful enough to cross the entire ocean basin.

The Valdivia (or Great Chilean) Earthquake of 1960 created a tsunami that hit Chile, Peru, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, New Zealand, southeast Australia, & the Aleutian Islands, & tide disturbances were recorded on gauges in California, Oregon, Washington & western Canada. The death toll was in the thousands.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1187/

that is true. i saw that on pbs.