Historical tsunamis · Nov 8, 1918, 4:38 AM UTC
1918 S. Kuril Islands tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Nov 8, 1918, 4:38 AM UTC originated near S. Kuril Islands (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 8, 1918, 4:38 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.50 m
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.50 m (Chichijima Island, Japan).
8 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia (Canada) after 9:09 h.
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) · Nov 8, 1918, 4:38 AM UTC
- 9:09 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.04 m
- 9:37 hUnited States · San Francisco, Ca · 0.03 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | 3 | 0.50 m Chichijima Island | — | — |
 United States | 2 | 0.10 m San Diego, Ca | — | 9:37 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.04 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 9:09 h |
| Russia | 2 | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.50 m | 2,103 km | Japan |
| San Diego, Ca · Ca | 0.10 m | 7,645 km | United States |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.04 m | 6,001 km | Canada |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.03 m | 6,918 km | United States |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | — | 1,082 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | — | 495 km | Japan |
| Iturup Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | — | 320 km | Russia |
| Urup Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | — | 195 km | Russia |
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.