Tsunamis in 1904

September 7, 1904 Tsunami: S. Java, Indonesia

September 7, 1904 · Very doubtful tsunami

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at S. Java, Indonesia on September 7, 1904. 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
September 7, 1904
Source
S. Java, Indonesia
Cause
Earthquake
Earthquake
The earthquake
Runups recorded
1
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
0
Waters
Ocean
How certain
Very doubtful tsunami
Source location
7.700° S, 109.000° E

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.

September 7, 1904. Ground tremors were felt at Tjilatjap. One eyewitness on the coast of Java Island noticed at noon that the water in the sea had grown white (had become like milk). The phenomenon stopped by 23:00, but resumed 2 hours later. (reference #414)

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
Tjilatjap, SumatraIndonesia4Eyewitness observation of water height

More

Every tsunami in 1904The 1900sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe 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 1318.