Historical tsunamis · Jun 22, 1977, 12:08 PM UTC
1977 Tonga Trench tsunami
Tonga
The tsunami of Jun 22, 1977, 12:08 PM UTC originated near Tonga Trench (Tonga).
Key facts
- Date
- Jun 22, 1977, 12:08 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.2
- Depth
- 65 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.40 m
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 5
- Damage
- US$ 1.2 million
- Observation records
- 19
- Countries affected
- 7
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake at a depth of 65 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.40 m.
19 observation sites in 7 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Pago Pago, American Samoa (USA Territory) after 1:10 h.
The database records 1 deaths.
Damage is estimated at US$ 1.2 million.
Map of observation sites
19Each 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) · Jun 22, 1977, 12:08 PM UTC
- 1:10 hUSA Territory · Pago Pago, American Samoa · 0.13 m
- 1:36 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.07 m
- 1:42 hFiji · Suva, King's Wharf · 0.16 m
- 3:14 hNew Zealand · Tauranga · 0.15 m
- 3:27 hFrench Polynesia · Papeete, Tahiti · 0.12 m
- 6:05 hNew Caledonia · Noumea · 0.09 m
- 7:27 hUnited States · Lihue, Kauai, Hi · 0.16 m
13 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United States | 9 | 0.25 m Kahului, Maui, Hi | — | 7:27 h |
 Fiji | 1 | 0.16 m Suva, King's Wharf | — | 1:42 h |
 New Zealand | 4 | 0.15 m Opua | — | 3:14 h |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.13 m Pago Pago, American Samoa | — | 1:10 h |
 French Polynesia | 2 | 0.12 m Papeete, Tahiti | — | 3:27 h |
 New Caledonia | 1 | 0.09 m Noumea | — | 6:05 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.07 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 1:36 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 19Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.25 m | 5,282 km | United States |
| Lihue, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.16 m | 5,278 km | United States |
| Suva, King's Wharf | 0.16 m | 791 km | Fiji |
| Opua | 0.15 m | 1,681 km | New Zealand |
| Tauranga · Bay of Plenty | 0.15 m | 1,804 km | New Zealand |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | 0.13 m | 1,099 km | USA Territory |
| Whangarei | 0.13 m | 1,710 km | New Zealand |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.12 m | 5,265 km | United States |
| Long Beach, Ca · Ca | 0.12 m | 8,751 km | United States |
| Papeete, Tahiti · Society Islands | 0.12 m | 2,810 km | French Polynesia |
| Port San Luis, Ca · Ca | 0.12 m | 8,666 km | United States |
| Auckland · Auckland | 0.10 m | 1,787 km | New Zealand |
| Mururoa Islands | 0.10 m | 3,800 km | French Polynesia |
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,274 km | United States |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.09 m | 5,230 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.