Historical tsunamis · Apr 21, 1997, 12:02 PM UTC
1997 Santa Cruz Is. Vanuatu tsunami
Solomon Islands
The tsunami of Apr 21, 1997, 12:02 PM UTC originated near Santa Cruz Is. Vanuatu (Solomon Islands).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 21, 1997, 12:02 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.00 m
- Houses destroyed
- 7
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 40
- Countries affected
- 6
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 3.00 m (Hiu Island, Vanuatu).
40 observation sites in 6 countries are recorded.
Houses destroyed: 7.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
40Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vanuatu | 3 | 3.00 m Hiu Island | — | — |
 Japan | 31 | 0.16 m Tosa-Shimizu | — | — |
 Tuvalu | 1 | 0.10 m Funafuti | — | — |
 Fiji | 1 | 0.10 m Suva, King's Wharf | — | — |
 Australia | 3 | — | — | — |
| Naoero | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 40Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiu Island | 3.00 m | 64 km | Vanuatu |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.20 m | 598 km | Vanuatu |
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.16 m | 6,168 km | Japan |
| Chichijima Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.15 m | 5,125 km | Japan |
| Tanegashima · Kagoshima | 0.15 m | 6,127 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.14 m | 6,047 km | Japan |
| Okada · Izu-Oshima, Tokyo | 0.12 m | 5,983 km | Japan |
| Funafuti | 0.10 m | 1,442 km | Tuvalu |
| Makurazaki · Kagoshima | 0.10 m | 6,216 km | Japan |
| Suva, King's Wharf | 0.10 m | 1,402 km | Fiji |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.09 m | 6,168 km | Japan |
| Mera · Chiba | 0.09 m | 5,973 km | Japan |
| Miyake Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.09 m | 5,912 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.08 m | 6,214 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.08 m | 6,427 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.