Tsunamis in 1878

October 13, 1878 Tsunami: St. Vincent Gulf, Australia

October 13, 1878 · Very doubtful tsunami

A tsunami of unknown cause began at St. Vincent Gulf, Australia on October 13, 1878. 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
October 13, 1878
Source
St. Vincent Gulf, Australia
Cause
Unknown
Runups recorded
1
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Very doubtful tsunami

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.

13th. A tidal wave swept the eastern shore of St. Vincent's Gulf. (reference #14286)

Every runup

Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.

WhereCountryKm from sourceWater height, mInland, mMeasured byFirst wave, UTCDeaths
East St. Vincent GulfAustraliaEyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 1878The 1800sTsunamis of AustraliaThis 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 6130.