March 29, 1907 Tsunami: Karakelong, Talaud Islands, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Karakelong, Talaud Islands, Indonesia on March 29, 1907 at 20:46:30 UTC. The water rose as high as 4 meters. 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 29, 1907, 20:46:30 UTC
- Source
- Karakelong, Talaud Islands, Indonesia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 500 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 4 m (13.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 3.000° N, 122.000° 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.
On Karakelong Island (Talaud Islands) there were unusually high waves, which spread approximately from west to east. The water rose to a height of 4 m, so that some cultivated areas 50 m from shore were devastated. On March 30, 1907, at about 5:00 [local time], weak underground shocks were felt at Lirung, Tomoon and Donggala. (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.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karakelong Island, Talaud Islands | Indonesia | 545 | 4 | 50 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1907The 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 1351.