March 3, 1901 Tsunami: Monterey Bay, N. California, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake and a landslide began at Monterey Bay, N. California, United States on March 3, 1901 at 07:45 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 3, 1901, 07:45 UTC
- Source
- Monterey Bay, N. California, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.7
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.000° N, 120.500° 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.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake reported near Parkfield. Observations of high tide and violent waves in the southern part of Monterey Bay. The event occurred several hours after the lower high tide astronomically and was ebbing. The marigram at Presidio showed noise from "choppy water" but no tsunami signal.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey, CA, CA | United States | 142 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1901The 1900sTsunamis 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 1277.