Historical tsunamis · Jul 20, 1975, 2:37 PM UTC
1975 Solomon Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Jul 20, 1975, 2:37 PM UTC originated near Solomon Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Jul 20, 1975, 2:37 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Depth
- 49 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 2.00 m
- Houses destroyed
- some (about 51–100)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 18
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake at a depth of 49 km.
The highest documented water height was 2.00 m (Yaba (Jaba) River, Bougainville Is, Papua New Guinea).
18 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hiroo (Japan) after 7:51 h.
Houses destroyed: some (about 51–100).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
18Each 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 20, 1975, 2:37 PM UTC
- 7:51 hJapan · Hiroo · 0.06 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 4 | 2.00 m Yaba (Jaba) River, Bougainville Is | — | — |
 Japan | 12 | 0.11 m Hanasaki | — | 7:51 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.06 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | — |
 Australia | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 18Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaba (Jaba) River, Bougainville Is · Bougainville Classified as doubtful | 2.00 m | 30 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Mamagota, Bougainville · Bougainville | 1.00 m | 42 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Torokina, Bougainville Island · Bougainville | 1.00 m | 38 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.11 m | 5,605 km | Japan |
| Kieta, Bougainville Island · Bougainville | 0.10 m | 76 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.08 m | 4,915 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.06 m | 5,398 km | Japan |
| Hiroo · Hokkaido | 0.06 m | 5,542 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.06 m | 4,878 km | Japan |
| Kwajalein, Marshall Islands · Mh | 0.06 m | 2,202 km | Marshall Islands, Rep. Of |
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.05 m | 3,976 km | Japan |
| Omaezaki · Shizuoka | 0.05 m | 4,891 km | Japan |
| Tokachiko · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 5,543 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 5,542 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.04 m | 5,038 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.