Historical tsunamis · Oct 30, 2020, 11:51 AM UTC
2020 Aegean Sea tsunami
Turkey
The tsunami of Oct 30, 2020, 11:51 AM UTC originated near Aegean Sea (Turkey).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 30, 2020, 11:51 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.0
- Depth
- 21 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.30 m
- Deaths
- 118
- Injuries
- 1,054
- Houses destroyed
- very many (over 1,000)
- Damage
- US$ 400 million
- Observation records
- 268
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at a depth of 21 km.
The highest documented water height was 5.30 m (Sigacik, Turkey).
268 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Ayios Nikolaos, Samos (Greece) after 0:04 h.
The database records 118 deaths.
Houses destroyed: very many (over 1,000).
Damage is estimated at US$ 400 million.
Map of observation sites
268Each 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 30, 2020, 11:51 AM UTC
- 0:04 hGreece · Ayios Nikolaos, Samos · 3.35 m
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 160 | 5.30 m Sigacik | — | — |
 Greece | 108 | 3.35 m Ayios Nikolaos, Samos | — | 0:04 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 268Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sigacik | 5.30 m | 34 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A5) | 3.80 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Ayios Nikolaos, Samos | 3.35 m | 10 km | Greece |
| Ag. Nikolaos, Samos (S2) | 2.98 m | 10 km | Greece |
| Akarca (A24) | 2.90 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A2) | 2.50 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A23) | 2.40 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A4) | 2.40 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Zeytineli (Z6) | 2.40 m | 42 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A21) | 2.30 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Sigacik (S36) | 2.30 m | 33 km | Turkey |
| Zeytineli (Z7) | 2.30 m | 42 km | Turkey |
| Sigacik (S8) | 2.20 m | 33 km | Turkey |
| Akarca (A12) | 2.10 m | 30 km | Turkey |
| Sigacik (S1) | 2.10 m | 33 km | Turkey |
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.