Historical tsunamis · Aug 10, 1968, 2:07 AM UTC
1968 N. Moluccas Islands tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Aug 10, 1968, 2:07 AM UTC originated near N. Moluccas Islands (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 10, 1968, 2:07 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.40 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 22
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.40 m.
22 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Aburatsu (Japan) after 4:33 h.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
22Each 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) · Aug 10, 1968, 2:07 AM UTC
- 4:33 hJapan · Aburatsu · 0.03 m
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | 22 | 0.20 m Uragami | — | 4:33 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 22Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uragami · Wakayama | 0.20 m | 3,700 km | Japan |
| Urakami · Nagasaki | 0.20 m | 4,811 km | Japan |
| Omaezaki · Shizuoka | 0.11 m | 3,883 km | Japan |
| Owase · Mie | 0.11 m | 3,765 km | Japan |
| Kamae · Oita | 0.10 m | 3,528 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.10 m | 3,688 km | Japan |
| Owase · Mie | 0.10 m | 3,765 km | Japan |
| Minami-Izu · Shizuoka | 0.09 m | 3,906 km | Japan |
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.09 m | 3,545 km | Japan |
| Kamaegyoko · Oita | 0.08 m | 3,527 km | Japan |
| Murotomisaki · Kochi | 0.08 m | 3,624 km | Japan |
| Nagashima · Mie | 0.08 m | 3,885 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.05 m | 3,007 km | Japan |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.03 m | 3,386 km | Japan |
| Nishinoomote · Kagoshima | 0.03 m | 3,286 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.