Historical tsunamis · Oct 10, 1980, 12:25 PM UTC
1980 El Asnam tsunami
Algeria
The tsunami of Oct 10, 1980, 12:25 PM UTC originated near El Asnam (Algeria).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 10, 1980, 12:25 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.1
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.70 m
- Deaths
- 5,000
- Injuries
- 9,000
- Houses destroyed
- 250,000
- Damage
- US$ 5,200 million
- Observation records
- 6
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.70 m (Cartagena, Spain).
6 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Almeria (Spain) after 0:46 h.
The database records 5,000 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 250,000.
Damage is estimated at US$ 5,200 million.
Map of observation sites
6Each 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) · Oct 10, 1980, 12:25 PM UTC
- 0:46 hSpain · Almeria · 0.08 m
5 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Spain | 6 | 0.70 m Cartagena | — | 0:46 h |
Highest documented water heights
6 / 6Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cartagena | 0.70 m | 261 km | Spain |
| Alicante, Inner Pier | 0.48 m | 290 km | Spain |
| Malaga | 0.25 m | 522 km | Spain |
| Algeciras | 0.15 m | 612 km | Spain |
| Alicante, Outer Pier | 0.15 m | 290 km | Spain |
| Almeria | 0.08 m | 348 km | Spain |
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.