December 22, 1951 Tsunami: Kavachi, Solomon Islands
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Kavachi, Solomon Islands on December 22, 1951.
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
- December 22, 1951
- Source
- Kavachi, Solomon Islands
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 2.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 9.020° S, 157.950° 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.
December 1 +30 days, 1951. Submarine eruption. Explosive eruption. Tsunami (giant sea waves). (reference #2379)
Natives at Penjuku Village (at the extreme south-eastern end of the picturesque Marovo Lagoon) frequently observe the phenomenon [Vulcanism]. Sometimes it takes the form of a domeshaped column of water, sometimes a white column of greater height, and frequently a rapidly-rising "mushroom" cloud of smoke. These latter are accompanied by the most violent detonations and sometimes by earth tremors. In late 1951 small tsunamis occurred frequently, but these have not occurred since. It is apparent from the foregoing that the
volcano has been building up, and is now close to the surface, its energy being almost entirely dissipated into
the atmosphere. (reference #3481)
December 22, 1951. Pumice rising to surface. (reference #3482)
More
Every tsunami in 1951The 1900sTsunamis of Solomon IslandsThe 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 1816.