Historical tsunamis · Mar 19, 1952, 10:57 AM UTC
1952 E. of Mindano, Philippines tsunami
Philippines
The tsunami of Mar 19, 1952, 10:57 AM UTC originated near E. of Mindano, Philippines (Philippines).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 19, 1952, 10:57 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.33 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.33 m (Angaur Island, Palau).
5 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Angaur Island (Palau) after 1:06 h.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
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) · Mar 19, 1952, 10:57 AM UTC
- 1:06 hPalau · Angaur Island · 0.33 m
- 1:48 hMicronesia, Fed. States Of · Yap Island, Caroline Islands · 0.04 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Palau | 1 | 0.33 m Angaur Island | — | 1:06 h |
| USA Territory | 3 | 0.04 m Apra Harbor, Guam | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.04 m Yap Island, Caroline Islands | — | 1:48 h |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angaur Island | 0.33 m | 811 km | Palau |
| Apra Harbor, Guam · Gu | 0.04 m | 1,947 km | USA Territory |
| Tarague, Guam · Gu | 0.04 m | 1,977 km | USA Territory |
| Yap Island, Caroline Islands | 0.04 m | 1,195 km | Micronesia, Fed. States Of |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | — | 7,338 km | USA Territory |
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.