Historical tsunamis · Feb 9, 1948, 12:58 PM UTC
1948 Dodecanese, Karpathos Is. tsunami
Greece
The tsunami of Feb 9, 1948, 12:58 PM UTC originated near Dodecanese, Karpathos Is. (Greece).
Key facts
- Date
- Feb 9, 1948, 12:58 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 40 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 7.30 m
- Houses destroyed
- 573
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 12
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 40 km.
The highest documented water height was 7.30 m (Agia Kara, Karpathos Island, Greece).
12 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Houses destroyed: 573.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
12Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 12 | 7.30 m Agia Kara, Karpathos Island | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
12 / 12Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agia Kara, Karpathos Island | 7.30 m | 13 km | Greece |
| Pigadia (2), Karpathos Island | 7.00 m | 16 km | Greece |
| Pigadia (3), Karpathos Island | 5.70 m | 16 km | Greece |
| Pigadia (4), Karpathos Island | 4.00 m | 16 km | Greece |
| Diafani (7), Karpathos Island | 3.60 m | 14 km | Greece |
| Diafani (6), Karpathos Island | 3.10 m | 14 km | Greece |
| Pigadia (1), Karpathos Island | 2.90 m | 16 km | Greece |
| Eastern Karpathos Island | 2.50 m | 16 km | Greece |
| Makris Gialos, Karpathos Island | 2.50 m | 24 km | Greece |
| Finiki, Karpathos Island | — | 17 km | Greece |
| NW of Pigadia, Karpathos Island | — | 13 km | Greece |
| SW Island of Rhodes | — | 63 km | Greece |
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.