Historical tsunamis · Dec 21, 2010, 5:19 PM UTC
2010 Bonin Islands tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Dec 21, 2010, 5:19 PM UTC originated near Bonin Islands (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 21, 2010, 5:19 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.4
- Depth
- 14 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.15 m
- Observation records
- 15
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake at a depth of 14 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.15 m (Tosa-Shimizu, Japan).
15 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at D21401 Bpr, 250Nm SE of Itirup Is (Russia) after 2:18 h.
Map of observation sites
15Each 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) · Dec 21, 2010, 5:19 PM UTC
- 1:06 hJapan · D21413, SE Tokyo, Japan · 0.02 m
- 2:18 hRussia · D21401 Bpr, 250Nm SE of Itirup Is · 0.01 m
- 2:31 hMarshall Islands, Rep. Of · D52402 Bpr, 790 Nm NW of Kwajalein · 0.00 m
- 2:41 hUSA Territory · Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands · 0.05 m
15 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 10 | 0.15 m Tosa-Shimizu | — | 1:06 h |
| USA Territory | 2 | 0.05 m Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands | — | 2:41 h |
 Russia | 2 | 0.01 m D21401 Bpr, 250Nm SE of Itirup Is | — | 2:18 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.00 m D52402 Bpr, 790 Nm NW of Kwajalein | — | 2:31 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 15Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.15 m | 1,224 km | Japan |
| Murotomisaki · Kochi | 0.14 m | 1,158 km | Japan |
| Gobo · Wakayama | 0.12 m | 1,124 km | Japan |
| Owase · Mie | 0.11 m | 1,073 km | Japan |
| Kushimoto · Wakayama | 0.10 m | 1,053 km | Japan |
| Uragami · Wakayama | 0.08 m | 1,051 km | Japan |
| Yuki · Mie | 0.08 m | 1,063 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 0.06 m | 1,356 km | Japan |
| Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands · Mp | 0.05 m | 1,310 km | USA Territory |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.03 m | 1,825 km | Japan |
| D21413, SE Tokyo, Japan | 0.02 m | 916 km | Japan |
| D21401 Bpr, 250Nm SE of Itirup Is · Kuril Islands | 0.01 m | 1,921 km | Russia |
| D21419 Bpr, 209 Nm S of Kuril Is · Kuril Islands | 0.01 m | 2,226 km | Russia |
| D52405 Bpr, Guam · Gu | 0.01 m | 1,953 km | USA Territory |
| D52402 Bpr, 790 Nm NW of Kwajalein · Mh | 0.00 m | 1,988 km | Marshall Islands, Rep. Of |
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.