Historical tsunamis · Mar 23, 1978, 3:15 AM UTC
1978 S. Kuril Islands tsunami
Russia
The tsunami of Mar 23, 1978, 3:15 AM UTC originated near S. Kuril Islands (Russia).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 23, 1978, 3:15 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 15
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m (Malokuril'skaya Bay, Shikotan, Russia).
15 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Hanasaki (Japan) after 0:54 h.
Map of observation sites
15Each 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) · Mar 23, 1978, 3:15 AM UTC
- 0:37 hRussia · Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye · 0.23 m
- 0:54 hJapan · Hanasaki · 0.16 m
11 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia | 6 | 0.30 m Malokuril'skaya Bay, Shikotan | — | 0:37 h |
 Japan | 9 | 0.16 m Hanasaki | — | 0:54 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 15Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malokuril'skaya Bay, Shikotan · Kuril Islands | 0.30 m | 175 km | Russia |
| Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 0.23 m | 64 km | Russia |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.16 m | 294 km | Japan |
| Yuzhno-Kuril'sk, Kunashir Island · Kuril Islands | 0.16 m | 228 km | Russia |
| Hiroo · Hokkaido | 0.14 m | 507 km | Japan |
| Tokachiko · Hokkaido | 0.14 m | 505 km | Japan |
| Nemuroko · Hokkaido | 0.12 m | 288 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.10 m | 747 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 0.10 m | 552 km | Japan |
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.08 m | 2,056 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | 0.06 m | 392 km | Japan |
| Abashiri · Hokkaido | 0.03 m | 348 km | Japan |
| Poronaysk, Sakhalin · Sakhalin | 0.03 m | 624 km | Russia |
| Cape Crillon (Krilon), Sakhalin I. · Sakhalin | 0.02 m | 509 km | Russia |
| Korsakov, Sakhalin · Sakhalin | 0.02 m | 480 km | Russia |
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.