Historical tsunamis · Oct 19, 1949, 9:00 PM UTC
1949 Solomon Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Oct 19, 1949, 9:00 PM UTC originated near Solomon Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 19, 1949, 9:00 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 60 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 60 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m (Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea).
5 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
5Each 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) · Oct 19, 1949, 9:00 PM UTC
- 0:36 hPapua New Guinea · Rabaul, New Britain · 0.30 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 2 | 0.30 m Rabaul, New Britain | — | 0:36 h |
 United States | 3 | 0.10 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabaul, New Britain · East New Britain | 0.30 m | 247 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,236 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,032 km | United States |
| Port Allen, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,898 km | United States |
| Dreger Harbor | 0.02 m | 691 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.