Historical tsunamis · Oct 31, 1975, 8:28 AM UTC
1975 Philippine Trench tsunami
Philippines
The tsunami of Oct 31, 1975, 8:28 AM UTC originated near Philippine Trench (Philippines).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 31, 1975, 8:28 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 50 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.00 m
- Deaths
- 1
- Houses destroyed
- 30
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 28
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 50 km.
The highest documented water height was 3.00 m.
28 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
The database records 1 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 30.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
28Each 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 31, 1975, 8:28 AM UTC
- 0:35 hPhilippines · Legaspi · 0.14 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | 22 | 0.30 m Choshi | — | — |
| Philippines | 2 | 0.14 m Legaspi | 1 | 0:35 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.10 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 2 | 0.06 m Yap Island, Caroline Islands | — | — |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.06 m Wake Island | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 28Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.30 m | 2,974 km | Japan |
| Yaene, Hachijo Island · Tokyo | 0.28 m | 2,674 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.27 m | 2,522 km | Japan |
| Owase · Mie | 0.23 m | 2,600 km | Japan |
| Mera · Chiba | 0.22 m | 2,845 km | Japan |
| Miyake Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.22 m | 2,748 km | Japan |
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.18 m | 2,335 km | Japan |
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.18 m | 2,351 km | Japan |
| Omaezaki · Shizuoka | 0.17 m | 2,739 km | Japan |
| Legaspi | 0.14 m | 253 km | Philippines |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.14 m | 3,085 km | Japan |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.13 m | 2,181 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.13 m | 3,241 km | Japan |
| Minami-Izu · Shizuoka | 0.12 m | 2,770 km | Japan |
| Hitachiko · Ibaraki | 0.10 m | 3,032 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.