Historical tsunamis · Aug 23, 1872, 6:06 PM UTC
1872 Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Aug 23, 1872, 6:06 PM UTC originated near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 23, 1872, 6:06 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.30 m
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 1
Cause according to NOAA/NCEI: Earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 1.30 m (Hilo, Hawaii, Hi, United States).
8 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
8Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin)
- 2:08 hUnited States · Saint Paul Island, Ak · 0.23 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8 | 1.30 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 2:08 h |
Highest documented water heights
8 / 8Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 1.30 m | 3,787 km | United States |
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.50 m | 3,451 km | United States |
| Saint Paul Island, Ak · Ak | 0.23 m | 560 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.20 m | 3,549 km | United States |
| Astoria, Or · Or | 0.08 m | 3,272 km | United States |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.08 m | 4,620 km | United States |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.08 m | 3,885 km | United States |
| Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hi · Hi | — | 3,417 km | United States |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.