August 4, 1905 Tsunami: Matavanu Volcano, Samoa
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Matavanu Volcano, Samoa on August 4, 1905.
Where the waves reached
The source of the tsunami. No runup with a place is recorded for it.
- 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
- August 4, 1905
- Source
- Matavanu Volcano, Samoa
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 13.612° S, 172.525° W
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1905-1911. The volcano Matavanu on the island of Savaii (Samoan Islands) was active between August 4, 1905, and November. Huge streams of lava up to one cubic km in volume emerged, one of which moved in a northeasterly direction and reached the ocean shore, a distance 12 km from the crater on December 6, 1905. Fields and villages situated in the path of the lava stream were destroyed. From time to time the lava tongues fell into the water and gave rise to small tsunami-type waves (including at the end of 1906 and in 1907). One of the phases of the eruption was observed by the missionary, John Farlong. According to his account, after some periods marked by earth tremors, on August 4, 1908, two yawning fissures appeared from which clouds of steam, illuminated by flames and eruptive material, shot up with explosive force. The streams of lava moved at a rate of 900 m (1/2 mile) in a 24 hour period, and at the points where the lava fell into the sea huge columns of steam rose, several times in the same area. They were 450 m (500 yards) in length and inundated the land for a distance of 90-110 m (100-120 yards). According to observers, the appearance of the waves coincided with increasing volcanic activity. (reference #415)
1905-1911. The Matavanu volcano eruption first began on August 4 of 1905. The flows occasionally generated small tsunamis by avalanching materia1 into the sea. Several
tsunami-like waves were observed when the crater was more than usually active. It is interesting to note that several so-called 'tidal' waves have occurred during the eruption.
The following were noticed at Matautu by Amtmann Williams
November 28th, 1906 5:30 p.m.
June 8th, 1907 at noon
June 19th, 1907 3 a.m.
June 27th, 1907 between 6 & 7 p.m.
July 9th, 1907 6:45 p.m.
July 25th, 1907 11 a.m.
The tide usually rises and falls about 4 feet at Matautu.
Most of these waves did not exceed 6 to 8 feet in height, and as many of them occurred at low or half-tide, and there was no heavy sea on at the time, little damage was done, although in several cases the main road of the town was flooded.
(above from reference #337)
More
Every tsunami in 1905The 1900sTsunamis of SamoaThe eruptionThis 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 1326.