Historical tsunamis · Apr 20, 1977, 11:13 PM UTC
1977 Solomon Islands tsunami
Solomon Islands
The tsunami of Apr 20, 1977, 11:13 PM UTC originated near Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 20, 1977, 11:13 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.8
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.15 m
- Deaths
- 34
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.15 m (Honiara, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands).
7 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Townsville, Queensland (Australia) after 6:12 h.
The database records 34 deaths.
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
7Each 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) · Apr 20, 1977, 11:13 PM UTC
- 1:02 hSolomon Islands · Honiara, Guadalcanal · 0.15 m
- 6:12 hAustralia · Townsville, Queensland · 0.06 m
- 6:37 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.04 m
5 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solomon Islands | 1 | 0.15 m Honiara, Guadalcanal | — | 1:02 h |
 Australia | 4 | 0.06 m Townsville, Queensland | — | 6:12 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.04 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 6:37 h |
 Papua New Guinea | 1 | 0.04 m Rabaul, New Britain | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
7 / 7Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honiara, Guadalcanal | 0.15 m | 372 km | Solomon Islands |
| Townsville, Queensland | 0.06 m | 2,058 km | Australia |
| Apia, Upolu Island | 0.04 m | 2,749 km | Samoa |
| Rabaul, New Britain · East New Britain | 0.04 m | 1,378 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Cairns | 0.02 m | 2,054 km | Australia |
| Brisbane | — | 2,215 km | Australia |
| Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor | — | 2,933 km | Australia |
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.