October 12, 1963 Tsunami: S. Kuril Islands, Russia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at S. Kuril Islands, Russia on October 12, 1963 at 11:27:00 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.12 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places in at least 2 countries.
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
- October 12, 1963, 11:27:00 UTC
- Source
- S. Kuril Islands, Russia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 48 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.12 m (0.4 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -3.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 44.426° N, 149.272° 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.
1963, October 12, 11:26:58.6 UTC. 44.71 N, 149.11 E, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.2 Ms. Foreshock to 10/13 05:17; tsunami in Friz Sound region. (reference #223)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iturup Island, Kurilskiye | Russia | 150 | 0.05 | ||||
| Hanasaki | Japan | 324 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tomakomainishiko | Japan | 650 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1963The 1900sTsunamis of RussiaThe 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 1946.