March 26, 1872 Tsunami: S. California, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at S. California, United States on March 26, 1872 at 10:30 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- March 26, 1872, 10:30 UTC
- Source
- S. California, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Erroneous entry
- Source location
- 36.700° N, 118.100° W
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Magnitude 7.8 Owens Valley earthquake felt over most of California and Nevada produced no tsunami.
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Pedro, CA, CA doubtful | United States | 332 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1872The 1800sTsunamis of United StatesThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 1039.