Historical tsunamis · Mar 7, 1929, 1:34 AM UTC
1929 Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Mar 7, 1929, 1:34 AM UTC originated near Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 7, 1929, 1:34 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 50 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.00 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 50 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.00 m (Cherni Island, Fox Islands, Ak, United States).
7 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia (Canada) after 5:04 h.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 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) · Mar 7, 1929, 1:34 AM UTC
- 4:24 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.10 m
- 5:04 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.06 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 1.00 m Cherni Island, Fox Islands, Ak | — | 4:24 h |
 Japan | 1 | 0.10 m Kushimoto | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.06 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 5:04 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherni Island, Fox Islands, Ak · Ak | 1.00 m | 647 km | United States |
| Wailua River, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.40 m | 3,325 km | United States |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.20 m | 3,689 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 3,441 km | United States |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.10 m | 4,772 km | Japan |
| Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · Bc | 0.06 m | 3,099 km | Canada |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.02 m | 3,958 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.