October 13, 1963 Tsunami: S. Kuril Islands, Russia

Name: October 13, 1963 Tsunami: S. Kuril Islands, Russia
Start: 1963-10-13
Location: S. Kuril Islands, Russia

October 13, 1963 · 4.5 m · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.5 earthquake began at S. Kuril Islands, Russia on October 13, 1963 at 05:17:53 UTC. The water rose as high as 4.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 91 places in at least 10 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

Tsunami warnings in force

Travel times

How long the first wave took to reach each part of the ocean, one line for each hour up to 24, estimated from the source and the depth of the sea.

The travel times are computed in your browser, which needs JavaScript.

1 to 4 hours
5 to 6 hours
7 to 14 hours
15 hours and more

Computed in your browser the way NOAA’s own travel time maps are: the wave travels at the square root of gravity times the depth, over NOAA’s ETOPO1 depths averaged to a 10 arc-minute grid. Checked against NOAA NCEI’s maps for 21 tsunamis over the first 24 hours, these lines fall within 10 minutes of NCEI’s at half the points compared and within 52 minutes at 9 in 10. They give when the first wave could arrive, not how high it is; bays, harbors and island chains finer than the grid can see it later. Not for use in a warning: see tsunami.gov.

The tsunami

Date: October 13, 1963, 05:17:53 UTC
Source: S. Kuril Islands, Russia
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 8.5, 13 km deep
Maximum water height: 4.5 m (14.8 ft)
Runups recorded: 91
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 2.5
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): 2.3
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 44.772° N, 149.798° 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.

A magnitude 8.5 (Mw) earthquake in the South Kuril Islands, Russia, produced a four-meter wave locally. The tsunami was also observed in Japan, Mexico, Hawaii, the west coast of the U.S. and on several islands in the Pacific. It was reported observed at Citizens Dock, Crescent City, California, where it rose and fell 2.1 feet (range) in three minutes at 8:22 A.M. It was also recorded at Avila, California.

1963, October 13, 05:17:55.8 UTC. 44.81 N, 149.54 E, depth 47 km, magnitude 8.1 Ms, intensity IX. Urup (main tremor); tsunamis in Urup Island region... There were tsunamis up to 4.5 m in height.. (reference #223)

1963, October 13, 17:18 hr [local time]. The tsunami that arose had the strongest impact on the southern half of the Kuril Islands, where the height of the water rise reached 4-5 m. It approached the coasts of Kamchatka in a very weakened form and was recorded only by the sea-level recorder in Avachinskaya Bay, 1 hr 54 min after the earthquake. The height of the largest wave was only 7 cm. The tsunami was observed along the entire coast of the Kuril Islands and was very weak at the northern coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk, the eastern coasts of Sakhalin, in Japan, the coasts of North America, on the Aleutian, Caroline, Hawaiian, Mariana and Marshall islands. (reference #2024)

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	Measured by	First wave, UTC
Urup Island, Kurilskiye	Russia	169	4.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye	Russia	173	1.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Iturup Island, Kurilskiye	Russia	182	4
Malokuril'Skaya Bay, Shikotan	Russia	258	1.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Simushir Island, Kurilskiye	Russia	301	1	Eyewitness observation of water height
Yuzhno-Kuril'Sk, Kunashir Island	Russia	324	1
Sernovodsk, Kunashir	Russia	346	1	Eyewitness observation of water height
Habomai Island	Japan	359	1.4
Hanasaki	Japan	378	0.74	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Akkeshigyoko	Japan	441	0.39	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Abashiri	Japan	447	0.35	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Matua, Kurilskiye	Russia	454	0.9	Eyewitness observation of water height
Kushiro	Japan	480	0.45	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mombetsu	Japan	513	0.28	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tokachiko	Japan	590	0.45	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hiroo	Japan	592	0.45	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Urakami	Japan	637	0.27	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Urakawa	Japan	638	0.22	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wakkanai	Japan	642	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tomakomainishiko	Japan	701	0.37	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Muroran	Japan	763	0.17	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hakodate	Japan	811	0.33	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kofunato	Japan	820	0.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Hachinohe	Japan	825	0.63	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kujiko	Japan	829	0.28	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Moshi	Japan	846	1.4	Eyewitness observation of water height
Taro (Tarocho)	Japan	853	1.08	Eyewitness observation of water height
Miyako	Japan	860	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Horinai (Miyako)	Japan	864	1.23	Eyewitness observation of water height
Kanehama	Japan	865	1.09	Eyewitness observation of water height
Osawa	Japan	873	0.57	Eyewitness observation of water height
Orikasa	Japan	876	0.91	Eyewitness observation of water height
Yamada	Japan	876	0.7	Eyewitness observation of water height
Akahama	Japan	886	0.8	Eyewitness observation of water height
Ando	Japan	887	1.29	Eyewitness observation of water height
Otsuchi	Japan	887	0.27	Eyewitness observation of water height
Muronohama	Japan	888	0.93	Eyewitness observation of water height
Hirata	Japan	896	0.91	Eyewitness observation of water height
Kamaishi	Japan	896	0.33	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Urahama	Japan	912	0.65	Eyewitness observation of water height
Ofunatoko	Japan	921	0.59	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ofunato	Japan	924	0.19	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Takata	Japan	932	0.75	Eyewitness observation of water height
Kesennumagyoko	Japan	942	0.71	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kesennuma	Japan	943	0.85	Eyewitness observation of water height
Isatomae	Japan	961	0.88	Eyewitness observation of water height
Shizukawa	Japan	970	0.6	Eyewitness observation of water height
Tsukihama	Japan	978	0.18	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onagawa	Japan	989	0.38	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ayukawa	Japan	997	0.31	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ishinomaki (Ishinomaki City)	Japan	998	0.33	Eyewitness observation of water height
Shiogama	Japan	1,024	0.28	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hanabuchi	Japan	1,027	0.34	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Avachinskaia Bay, Kamchatka	Russia	1,111	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka	Russia	1,122	0.02	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onahama	Japan	1,148	0.27	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uragami	Japan	1,726	0.27	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushimoto	Japan	1,740	0.5	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Attu, Massacre Bay, AK, AK	United States	1,926	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tosa-Shimizu	Japan	1,971	0.27	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hirara	Japan	3,129	0.13	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyako Island	Japan	3,129	0.13	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wake Island, UM	US Territories	3,227	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 09:05
Midway Islands, HI	US Territories	3,433	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 09:29
Hualien	Taiwan	3,438	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Apra Harbor, Guam, GU	US Territories	3,508	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 11:05
Truk Islands, Caroline Islands	Micronesia	4,150	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 10:29
Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, MH	Marshall Islands	4,352	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 11:05
Johnston Island, HI	US Territories	4,901	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 11:41
Port Allen, Kauai, HI, HI	United States	5,243	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI	United States	5,257	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Haleiwa, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	5,381	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 11:53
Mokuoloe-Coconut Is, Oahu, HI	United States	5,417	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	5,420	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 12:11
Ala Wai Harbor, Oahu, HI, HI	United States	5,424	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kaanapali, Maui, HI, HI	United States	5,540	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kahului, Maui, HI, HI	United States	5,559	0.4	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 12:11
Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI	United States	5,755	0.4	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 12:23
Tofino (Clayoquot),british Columbia, BC	Canada	6,091	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 14:03
Port Alberni, British Columbia, BC	Canada	6,156	0.17	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 15:05
Crescent City, CA, CA	United States	6,647	0.33	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Christmas Island, Line Islands	Kiribati	6,999	0.1		day 13, 14:11
San Francisco, CA, CA	United States	7,024	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Avila Beach, CA, CA	United States	7,325	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Los Angeles, CA, CA	United States	7,603	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pago Pago, American Samoa, AS	US Territories	7,661	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)	day 13, 14:53
La Jolla, CA, CA	United States	7,736	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
La Paz	Mexico	8,880	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mazatlan	Mexico	9,246	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Acapulco	Mexico	10,225	0.49	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Salina Cruz	Mexico	10,610	0.49	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1963 The 1900s Tsunamis of Russia The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 1947.