Historical tsunamis · Nov 30, 1987, 7:23 PM UTC
1987 Gulf of Alaska, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Nov 30, 1987, 7:23 PM UTC originated near Gulf of Alaska, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 30, 1987, 7:23 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.43 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 10
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.43 m (Yakutat, Ak, United States).
10 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
10Each 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) · Nov 30, 1987, 7:23 PM UTC
- 0:53 hUnited States · Yakutat, Ak · 0.43 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 10 | 0.43 m Yakutat, Ak | — | 0:53 h |
Highest documented water heights
10 / 10Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakutat, Ak · Ak | 0.43 m | 200 km | United States |
| Sitka, Ak · Ak | 0.13 m | 477 km | United States |
| Seward, Ak · Ak | 0.10 m | 410 km | United States |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.07 m | 4,437 km | United States |
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.06 m | 4,288 km | United States |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca | 0.05 m | 2,744 km | United States |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.02 m | 4,323 km | United States |
| Wc9 Bpr, Off Oregon Coast · Or | 0.02 m | 1,654 km | United States |
| Ak7 Bpr, Alaska Array · Ak | 0.01 m | 1,011 km | United States |
| Ak8 Bpr, Alaska Array · Ak | 0.01 m | 1,083 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.