September 16, 1926 Tsunami: Solomon Islands

Reference #414:

1926, September 17 (mistakenly 18), about 4:20 + min [local time]. Validity 4. At Ovi (Guadalcanal Island), after a roar which seemed like peals of distant thunder, which came from the west and intensified as it approached, oscillations and spinning of the earth's surface began and continued for several seconds.

The phenomena, which preceded the earthquake, included in particular unusually low ebbs, which may however have been connected with the equinox and phases of the moon. The sea water was inky black, and all the denizens of the sea floated belly up in various stages of paralysis and even death, so that the stink at ebb tide was disgusting.

At the end of the earthquake, the lagoon at Ovi, 200-400 m (10-20 chains) wide and 1-3 1/2 m (from 3 feet to 2 fathoms) deep, and closed in by a broad flat coral reef which was exposed during ebb tides, but which rose 1-2 m (4-6 feet) above flood tides in two places right at the lagoon, dried up completely. Then a flood tide began as a series of waves (about seven) with "white horses," which chased each other and flooded the beach, sweeping away everything in their path. The waves entered through the northern entrance to the lagoon, colliding and surging onto one another at the center of the lagoon. Whirlpools and surges arose. Then the water left the lagoon and returned again. This phenomenon recurred three times and then continued with each new advance being smaller than the last one until, finally all quieted down.

The zone of the greatest effect of the tsunami, according to Svensen, occupied 55 km (30 miles) of the western coast of Guadalcanal Island between Cape West and Cape Esperense. The tsunami flooded all the lowlands, as well as Kokumariki Island. So far as Svensen could remember a year after the events, it was lowest low tide, and the moon was in the fourth quarter before the tsunami.

Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 16.IX; 17h59m128; 11.5 S.,

160 E.; 50 km; M= 7.1. [The instrumental and macroseismic data on the earthquake are not in satisfactory agreement.]

Reference #79:

1926, September 16, 17:59 UTC. 11.5 S, 160 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.1. Tsunami source Solomon Islands. Tsunami observation: Solomon Islands: Guadalcanal, Kokomaruki. Port inundated. 3 waves. Whole island inundated.

Reference #132:

1926, September 18. Solomon Islands. Shock followed by sea wave which inundated the whole island of Kokomaruki and port of Guadalcanal. Sea receded land returned three times.

Reference #99:

1926, September 17, 03:59 [local time]. Port of Guadalcanal inundated. 3 waves. Whole island of Kokomaruki inundated. Date shown is date of earthquake according to Gutenberg & Richter (1954). Heck gives data as September 18, and Sieberg uses Greenwich date of September 16.