Historical tsunamis · Oct 13, 1963, 5:17 AM UTC
1963 S. Kuril Islands tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Oct 13, 1963, 5:17 AM UTC originated near S. Kuril Islands (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 13, 1963, 5:17 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.5
- Depth
- 13 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 4.50 m
- Observation records
- 91
- Countries affected
- 10
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake at a depth of 13 km.
The highest documented water height was 4.50 m (Urup Island, Kurilskiye, Russia).
91 observation sites in 10 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Wake Island (USA Territory) after 3:48 h.
Map of observation sites
91Each 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 13, 1963, 5:17 AM UTC
- 3:48 hUSA Territory · Wake Island · 0.20 m
- 5:12 hMicronesia, Fed. States Of · Truk Islands, Caroline Islands · 0.10 m
- 5:48 hMarshall Islands, Rep. Of · Kwajalein, Marshall Islands · 0.20 m
- 6:36 hUnited States · Haleiwa, Oahu, Hi · 0.30 m
- 8:45 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.08 m
- 8:54 hKiribati · Christmas Island, Line Islands · 0.10 m
14 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 10 | 4.50 m Urup Island, Kurilskiye | — | — |
 Japan | 51 | 1.40 m Habomai Island | — | — |
 Mexico | 4 | 0.49 m Acapulco | — | — |
 United States | 15 | 0.40 m Hilo, Hawaii, Hi | — | 6:36 h |
| USA Territory | 5 | 0.30 m Midway Islands | — | 3:48 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.20 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | 5:48 h |
 Canada | 2 | 0.17 m Port Alberni, British Columbia | — | 8:45 h |
 Kiribati | 1 | 0.10 m Christmas Island, Line Islands | — | 8:54 h |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.10 m Truk Islands, Caroline Islands | — | 5:12 h |
 Taiwan | 1 | 0.07 m Hualien | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 91Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urup Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 4.50 m | 169 km | Russia |
| Iturup Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 4.00 m | 182 km | Russia |
| Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 1.50 m | 173 km | Russia |
| Habomai Island · Hokkaido | 1.40 m | 359 km | Japan |
| Moshi · Iwate | 1.40 m | 846 km | Japan |
| Ando · Iwate | 1.29 m | 887 km | Japan |
| Horinai (Miyako) · Iwate | 1.23 m | 864 km | Japan |
| Malokuril'skaya Bay, Shikotan · Kuril Islands | 1.20 m | 258 km | Russia |
| Kanehama · Iwate | 1.09 m | 866 km | Japan |
| Taro (Tarocho) · Iwate | 1.08 m | 853 km | Japan |
| Sernovodsk, Kunashir · Kuril Islands | 1.00 m | 346 km | Russia |
| Simushir Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 1.00 m | 301 km | Russia |
| Yuzhno-Kuril'sk, Kunashir Island · Kuril Islands | 1.00 m | 324 km | Russia |
| Muronohama · Iwate | 0.93 m | 888 km | Japan |
| Hirata · Iwate | 0.91 m | 896 km | Japan |
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.