December 21, 1962 Tsunami: Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake began at Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States on December 21, 1962 at 08:42:43 UTC. 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
- December 21, 1962, 08:42:43 UTC
- Source
- Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, AK, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.5, 33 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 52.470° N, 168.540° W
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.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the Fox Islands, Aleutian Islands, causd a tsunami warning to be issued. Oscillations reported by Honolulu observatory started 4.75 hours too early to be a tsunami from this source, and so this is a doubtful tsunami. (Ref #236)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI doubtful | United States | 3,578 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1962The 1900sTsunamis of United StatesThe 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 1937.