How long does it take for a tsunami to hit after an earthquake? Timelapse reveals minute-by-minute breakdown

A timelapse of the 2011 Japan earthquake has provided a shocking glimpse into how fast it takes a tsunami to reach the rest of the world. 

The 9.1 Richter quake struck the north east coast of Honshu – Japan’s main island – at 2.46pm local time on March 11, causing a tsunami up to 56ft high that washed inland and destroyed everything in its path.

A harrowing reconstruction of the disaster shows how within a matter of the hours the colossal wave was able to cross the largest ocean on earth – resulting in devastating consequences for any country in its wake. 

Just three hours after the earthquake struck Honshu, it had already reached the south coast of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula around 750 miles away. 

Within nine hours the tsunami had hit the Gulf of Alaska before colliding with the Californian coast around 40 minutes later. 

After around 14 hours since the devastating earthquake erupted, the tsunami had stretched to the south east coast of Mexico, eventually arriving on the shores of southern America within around 20 hours.