By . Daniel Bates . Last updated at 1:45 PM on 9th August 2011 . It killed 15,000 people and caused the worst nuclear disaster in 25years. But now it turns out that the effects of the Japanese tsunami which struck the country in March were felt as far away as the Antarctic. The wake of the giant wave travelled 8,000miles through the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of ice at the southern tip of Earth. As a result several enormous chunks, one of which was the size of Manhattan in New York, broke off and drifted away into the sea. Scroll down for video . Long distance: The wake of the Japanese tsunami travelled 8,000miles through the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of ice at the southern tip of Earth - causing giant icebergs to break off Antarctica . The discovery shows once more the awesome power of the tsunami, which was caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the northern coast of Japan. It was pieced together by researchers who studied Nasa pictures of Earth to map the path of the wave during the 18 hours it took to cross the globe. Using the satellite images the researchers were able to see the ice sheet calving, or breaking off, in near real time. The Sulzberger ice shelf, which has barely moved in nearly 50 years, was put under so much strain by the powerful wave that vast chunks dropped off. Iceberg in the Antarctic: Researchers who studied Nasa pictures of Earth to map the path of the wave during the 18 hours it took to cross the globe (file picture) The wave was just 1ft high there but there was so much force it had a huge effect. Lead researcher Kelly Brunt, a cryosphere specialist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said: ‘In the past, we've had calving events where we've looked for the source. ‘It's a reverse scenario - we see a calving and we go looking for a source. ‘We knew right away this was one of the biggest events in recent history - we knew there would be enough swell. And this time we had a source.’ Tragedy: The wave from a tsunami crashes over a street in north-eastern Japan in March, after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the area, killing 15,000 people . The earthquake which hit Japan on March 11 caused waves up to 130ft that went up to six miles inland. Entire towns and villages were wiped off the map as the waves crashed onto the land in terrifying footage that was captured and posted on the internet by survivors. The wave also caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant which it is feared has left thousands with radiation poisoning. The research was published in the online edition of the Journal of Glaciology.
Giant wave travelled 8,000miles through .
the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of .
ice at the southern tip of Earth .
By . Daniel Bates . Last updated at 1:45 PM on 9th August 2011 . It killed 15,000 people and caused the worst nuclear disaster in 25years. But now it turns out that the effects of the Japanese tsunami which struck the country in March were felt as far away as the Antarctic. The wake of the giant wave travelled 8,000miles through the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of ice at the southern tip of Earth. As a result several enormous chunks, one of which was the size of Manhattan in New York, broke off and drifted away into the sea. Scroll down for video . Long distance: The wake of the Japanese tsunami travelled 8,000miles through the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of ice at the southern tip of Earth - causing giant icebergs to break off Antarctica . The discovery shows once more the awesome power of the tsunami, which was caused by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the northern coast of Japan. It was pieced together by researchers who studied Nasa pictures of Earth to map the path of the wave during the 18 hours it took to cross the globe. Using the satellite images the researchers were able to see the ice sheet calving, or breaking off, in near real time. The Sulzberger ice shelf, which has barely moved in nearly 50 years, was put under so much strain by the powerful wave that vast chunks dropped off. Iceberg in the Antarctic: Researchers who studied Nasa pictures of Earth to map the path of the wave during the 18 hours it took to cross the globe (file picture) The wave was just 1ft high there but there was so much force it had a huge effect. Lead researcher Kelly Brunt, a cryosphere specialist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said: ‘In the past, we've had calving events where we've looked for the source. ‘It's a reverse scenario - we see a calving and we go looking for a source. ‘We knew right away this was one of the biggest events in recent history - we knew there would be enough swell. And this time we had a source.’ Tragedy: The wave from a tsunami crashes over a street in north-eastern Japan in March, after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the area, killing 15,000 people . The earthquake which hit Japan on March 11 caused waves up to 130ft that went up to six miles inland. Entire towns and villages were wiped off the map as the waves crashed onto the land in terrifying footage that was captured and posted on the internet by survivors. The wave also caused a meltdown at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant which it is feared has left thousands with radiation poisoning. The research was published in the online edition of the Journal of Glaciology.
the giant wave travelled 8,000miles through the Pacific and Southern Oceans until it battered a 260ft tall wall of ice at the southern tip of