January 8, 1933 Tsunami: Kharimkotan, N. Kuril Islands, Russia

On January 8, 1933 at 4 o'clock in the morning on the island of Kharimkotan there was a gigantic volcanic explosion, annihilating the top half of the central cone. Large pieces of lava fell on the northern shore of the island. Shortly after the explosion a large tsunami arose along the coast, carrying masses of ice onto the shore. According to the accounts of inhabitants, the tsunami reached a height of 9 m. Three waves were observed on the island of Onnekotan and Paramushir. No seismic shocks of any significant force were recorded at the time. (reference #413)

A tsunami from the collapse of Severgiin volcano reached as far as Onekotan and Paramushir Islands, where two persons were killed. Tsunami reported to be 20 m high. (reference #1412)

Reference #3080 attributes two deaths to tsunami.

Reference #95, #5042, #79 lists 9 m wave.

The entry of the debris avalanche into Pacific ocean was the reason of tsunami up to 20 m high. Victims of this tsunami were woman and child lived at the nearby island. (reference #12846)

A similar, but larger tsunami accompanied the explosive destruction of a lavadome at Severgin Volcano in the Kurile Islands on 8 January 1933: three earthquakes were felt, each with an accompanying tsunami, the largest reaching a height of about 9 m above sea level (Tanakadate, 1934),. The earthquakes were not mentioned in the International Seismological Summary, and, like that of 1930 September at Stromboli, were probably of shallow volcanic origin: a characteristic of such earthquakes is that their energy usually fails to propagate to great distances although they may be strongly felt close to source. (reference #1686, #5042)