Historical tsunamis · Jul 17, 1980, 7:42 PM UTC
1980 Solomon Islands tsunami
Solomon Islands
The tsunami of Jul 17, 1980, 7:42 PM UTC originated near Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands).
Key facts
- Date
- Jul 17, 1980, 7:42 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.14 m
- Observation records
- 36
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.14 m (Kahului, Maui, Hi, United States).
36 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Yaene, Hachijo Island (Japan) after 8:03 h.
Map of observation sites
36Each 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) · Jul 17, 1980, 7:42 PM UTC
- 8:03 hJapan · Yaene, Hachijo Island · 0.04 m
17 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Samoa | 1 | 0.40 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | — |
 United States | 4 | 0.14 m Kahului, Maui, Hi | — | — |
 Japan | 30 | 0.11 m Chichijima Island | — | 8:03 h |
 Vanuatu | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 36Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apia, Upolu Island | 0.40 m | 2,423 km | Samoa |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.14 m | 5,531 km | United States |
| Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.14 m | 5,485 km | United States |
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.11 m | 5,078 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | 0.11 m | 6,526 km | Japan |
| Tokachiko · Hokkaido | 0.11 m | 6,495 km | Japan |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.10 m | 5,570 km | United States |
| Hiroo · Hokkaido | 0.10 m | 6,494 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 0.10 m | 6,503 km | Japan |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.09 m | 6,114 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.09 m | 6,390 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.09 m | 6,517 km | Japan |
| Mera · Chiba | 0.08 m | 5,929 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.08 m | 5,989 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.08 m | 5,989 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.