Historical tsunamis · Apr 21, 1977, 4:24 AM UTC
1977 Solomon Islands tsunami
Solomon Islands
The tsunami of Apr 21, 1977, 4:24 AM UTC originated near Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 21, 1977, 4:24 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.04 m
- Deaths
- 18
- Injuries
- 1
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.04 m (Townsville, Queensland, Australia).
5 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Townsville, Queensland (Australia) after 6:21 h.
The database records 18 deaths.
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
5Each 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 21, 1977, 4:24 AM UTC
- 6:21 hAustralia · Townsville, Queensland · 0.04 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 3 | 0.04 m Townsville, Queensland | — | 6:21 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.03 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | — |
 Fiji | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Townsville, Queensland | 0.04 m | 1,814 km | Australia |
| Apia, Upolu Island | 0.03 m | 3,025 km | Samoa |
| Cairns | 0.03 m | 1,791 km | Australia |
| Brisbane | — | 2,083 km | Australia |
| Suva | — | 2,112 km | Fiji |
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.