November 8, 1950 Tsunami: Solomon Sea, Solomon Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Solomon Sea, Solomon Islands on November 8, 1950 at 02:18:12 UTC. The water rose as high as 1.2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
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
- November 8, 1950, 02:18:12 UTC
- Source
- Solomon Sea, Solomon Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1.2 m (3.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 10.000° S, 159.500° 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.
The 1950 earthquake is reported to have initiated a wave about four feet high in southwest Guadalcanal (which caused no damage); at Honiara the vertical movement of the sea on the shore was probably of the order of twelve inches only, and would have passed unobserved by anyone not actually watching for it. (reference #3481)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Guadalcanal | Solomon Islands | 51 | 1.2 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Honiara, Guadalcanal | Solomon Islands | 79 | 0.3 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1950The 1900sTsunamis of Solomon IslandsThe 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 1811.