Historical tsunamis · Sep 29, 1650
1650 Thera Island (Santorini) tsunami
Greece
The tsunami of Sep 29, 1650 originated near Thera Island (Santorini) (Greece).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 29, 1650
- Cause
- Volcano and landslide
- Magnitude
- M6.3
- Maximum documented water height
- 30.0 m
- Deaths
- 120
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 1
Cause according to NOAA/NCEI: Volcano and landslide.
The highest documented water height was 30.0 m (East Coast Patmos, Greece).
9 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 120 deaths.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 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.
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece | 9 | 30.0 m East Coast Patmos | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast Patmos | 30.00 m | 127 km | Greece |
| West Coast Patmos | 30.00 m | 127 km | Greece |
| Ios | 16.00 m | 30 km | Greece |
| E. Santorini, Cyclades · Santorini | — | 14 km | Greece |
| Island of Crete | — | 156 km | Greece |
| Kamari · Santorini | — | 16 km | Greece |
| Kea | — | 162 km | Greece |
| Perissa · Santorini | — | 19 km | Greece |
| Sikinos Island, Cyclades | — | 37 km | Greece |
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.