Historical tsunamis · Sep 14, 1906, 4:04 PM UTC
1906 Solomon Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Sep 14, 1906, 4:04 PM UTC originated near Solomon Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 14, 1906, 4:04 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.0
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.50 m
- Deaths
- some (about 51–100)
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.50 m (Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea).
7 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records some (about 51–100) deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
7Each 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) · Sep 14, 1906, 4:04 PM UTC
- 0:15 hPapua New Guinea · Finschhafen · 1.50 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 7 | 1.50 m Finschhafen | — | 0:15 h |
Highest documented water heights
7 / 7Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finschhafen · Morobe | 1.50 m | 134 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Madang Island | 1.50 m | 405 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Busega, Huon Gulf | — | 140 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Heldsbach | — | 141 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Tami Island | — | 124 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Umboi Island (Ruk, Rooke, Siassi) · Morobe | — | 190 km | Papua New Guinea |
| West Coast New Britain · West New Britain | — | 144 km | Papua New Guinea |
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.