December 31, 1902 Tsunami: Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan on December 31, 1902. 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
- December 31, 1902
- Source
- Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- 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.
Reference #14162 lists an event observed in Baku on 31 December 1902 stating “Unusual waves resulted in dangerous motion of ships in the port. Event was observed after destructive earthquake near Shimaha.” However, the destructive earthquake was on 13 February 1902.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baku | Azerbaijan | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1902The 1900sTsunamis of AzerbaijanThis 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 6052.