January 29, 1968 Tsunami: S. Kuril Islands, Russia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at S. Kuril Islands, Russia on January 29, 1968 at 10:19:07 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.18 meters. Its effects were recorded at 17 places in at least 3 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
- January 29, 1968, 10:19:07 UTC
- Source
- S. Kuril Islands, Russia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 40 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.18 m (0.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 17
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -1.7
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 43.586° N, 146.701° 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.
1968, January 29, 19:19 [local time]. 43.2 N, 147 E, magnitude 6.9, tsunami intensity -1, validity 4. Nemuro 26 cm, Hanasaki 26 cm, Kushiro 10 cm, Hiroo 22 cm, Shionomisaki 16cm. (reference #150)
1968, January 29, 10:19:04.8. 43.54 N, 146.78 E, depth 35 km, magnitude 7.2 Ms, intensity VIII. Main tremor; tsunami. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polonsky Is. | Russia | 29 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 29, 10:49 | |||
| Malokuril'Skaya Bay, Shikotan | Russia | 33 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| Yuzhno (South) Kurils, Kunashir Is | Russia | 84 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 29, 11:07 | ||
| Nemuroko | Japan | 94 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanasaki | Japan | 98 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye | Russia | 167 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 29, 11:13 | ||
| Iturup Island, Kurilskiye | Russia | 167 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 29, 11:25 | ||
| Kushiro | Japan | 201 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tokachiko | Japan | 310 | 0.18 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hiroo | Japan | 312 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Cape Crillon (Krilon), Sakhalin I. | Russia | 447 | 0.01 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 29, 12:37 | ||
| Hachinohe | Japan | 546 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Shimanokoshigyoko | Japan | 570 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir Island | Russia | 1,062 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 1,470 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Shionomisaki | Japan | 1,473 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Attu, Massacre Bay, AK, AK | United States | 2,204 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1968The 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 1996.