Historical tsunamis · Jul 26, 1971, 1:23 AM UTC
1971 Solomon Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Jul 26, 1971, 1:23 AM UTC originated near Solomon Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Jul 26, 1971, 1:23 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 51 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 10.0 m
- Injuries
- few (up to about 50)
- Houses destroyed
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- US$ 1.0 million
- Observation records
- 38
- Countries affected
- 7
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 51 km.
The highest documented water height was 10.0 m (Metlik, South Coast, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea).
38 observation sites in 7 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia (Canada) after 14:05 h.
Houses destroyed: few (up to about 50).
Damage is estimated at US$ 1.0 million.
Map of observation sites
38Each 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) · Jul 26, 1971, 1:23 AM UTC
- 0:28 hPapua New Guinea · Rabaul, New Britain · 3.00 m
- 14:05 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.04 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 10 | 10.0 m Metlik, South Coast, New Ireland | — | 0:28 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.24 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | — |
 Japan | 14 | 0.14 m Hanasaki-Kushimoto | — | — |
 United States | 9 | 0.10 m Honolulu, Oahu, Hi | — | — |
| USA Territory | 2 | 0.10 m Midway Islands | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.09 m Truk Islands, Caroline Islands | — | — |
 Canada | 1 | 0.04 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 14:05 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 38Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metlik, South Coast, New Ireland | 10.00 m | 29 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Wide Bay (SE Shore, New Britain) | 8.00 m | 124 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Rabaul, New Britain · East New Britain | 3.00 m | 135 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Kavieng, New Ireland | 0.60 m | 278 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Anewa Bay, Bougainville · Bougainville | 0.42 m | 300 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Kwajalein, Marshall Islands · Mh | 0.24 m | 2,207 km | Marshall Islands, Rep. Of |
| Alotau · Milne Bay | 0.18 m | 674 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Hanasaki-Kushimoto · Hokkaido | 0.14 m | 5,387 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.13 m | 4,800 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.12 m | 4,622 km | Japan |
| Owase · Mie | 0.11 m | 4,666 km | Japan |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.10 m | 4,648 km | Japan |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,074 km | United States |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 6,190 km | United States |
| Long Beach, Ca · Ca | 0.10 m | 10,182 km | United States |
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.