Historical tsunamis · Mar 6, 1988, 10:35 PM UTC
1988 Gulf of Alaska, Ak tsunami
United States
The tsunami of Mar 6, 1988, 10:35 PM UTC originated near Gulf of Alaska, Ak (United States).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 6, 1988, 10:35 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 15 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.19 m
- Damage
- US$ 0.0 million
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 15 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.19 m (Yakutat, Ak, United States).
9 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at US$ 0.0 million.
Map of observation sites
9Each 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 6, 1988, 10:35 PM UTC
- 1:10 hUnited States · Yakutat, Ak · 0.19 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 8 | 0.19 m Yakutat, Ak | — | 1:10 h |
 Canada | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
9 / 9Individual 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 | 0.19 m | 310 km | United States |
| Seward, Ak · Ak | 0.06 m | 501 km | United States |
| Sitka, Ak · Ak | 0.06 m | 448 km | United States |
| Kodiak, Ak · Ak | 0.04 m | 586 km | United States |
| Wc9 Bpr, Off Oregon Coast · Or | 0.03 m | 1,530 km | United States |
| Ak7 Bpr, Alaska Array · Ak | 0.02 m | 930 km | United States |
| Ak8 Bpr, Alaska Array · Ak | 0.02 m | 1,011 km | United States |
| San Francisco, Ca · Ca Classified as doubtful | 0.01 m | 2,626 km | United States |
| Langara Island, British Columbia · Bc | — | 695 km | Canada |
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.