September 5, 1971 Tsunami: Tatar Strait, Russia

Name: September 5, 1971 Tsunami: Tatar Strait, Russia
Start: 1971-09-05
Location: Tatar Strait, Russia

September 5, 1971 · 2 m · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Tatar Strait, Russia on September 5, 1971 at 18:35:29 UTC. The water rose as high as 2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 29 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: September 5, 1971, 18:35:29 UTC
Source: Tatar Strait, Russia
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 7.3, 18 km deep
Maximum water height: 2 m (6.6 ft)
Runups recorded: 29
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): 1
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 46.529° N, 141.185° E

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Houses damaged: Few (about 1 to 50) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Crustal displacement on the Ocean bottom was so pronounced that it caused a 2 m high tsunami which was observed in multiple locations in Shebunino and Gornozavodsk. On Moneron Island, the height of inundation of the bank was estimated at 1.5 m. According to tide gauge data, tsunami -height varied from 80 cm in Nevel'sk to 3-5 cm in Adimi (Primor'e), Korsakov, Kuril'sk, and many places in Hokkaido. At all locations the tsunami began with a rise in water level which confirms the conclusion that the earthquake was caused by an uplift of the sea bottom in the source region. (reference #417)

The earthquake induced by this tsunami occurred at 18:35 GMT (on September 6 at 05:35 local time) northeast of the Moneron Island in the Tatar Strait. The earthquake epicenter coordinates are (141.3° E, 46.45° N). The depth of the earthquake focus was small (15 km), which provided a large surface effect. The earthquake caused significant creeps, landslides, and fissures on Moneron Island, which was observed by a subsequent survey. The earthquake magnitude (Ms = 6.9) was not the largest in the region of the Sea of Japan during instrumental observations, but it was the largest along the Sakhalin Island coast; this significantly affected the height of waves on the island coast. The tsunami intensity according to the Soloviev scale is 1. (reference #12191)

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
Moneron Island	Russia	28	1.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Gornozavodsk, Sakhalin	Russia	50	2	Eyewitness observation of water height
Shebunino, Sakhalin	Russia	52	2	Eyewitness observation of water height
Nevelsk, Sakhalin	Russia	54	0.4	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kholmsk, Sakhalin	Russia	89	0.37	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Cape Crillon (Krilon), Sakhalin I.	Russia	99	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Chekhov, Sakhalin	Russia	118	0.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Rebun Is.	Japan	121	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Funadomari	Japan	122	0.26	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Korsakov, Sakhalin	Russia	122	0.1	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wakkanai	Japan	130	0.32	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kafuka	Japan	137	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Rishiri Island	Japan	142	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Senposhigyoko	Japan	161	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Pensenskoe, Sakhalin	Russia	169	0.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Teshioko	Japan	190	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Adimi	Russia	192	0.02	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Krasnogorsk, Sakhalin	Russia	219	1	Eyewitness observation of water height
Haboroko	Japan	244	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Orlovo, Sakhalin	Russia	263	0.5	Eyewitness observation of water height
Sovetskaja Gavan	Russia	280	0.02	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Rumoiko	Japan	289	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mombetsu	Japan	296	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Furubira	Japan	365	0.19	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Abashiri	Japan	370	0.16	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Oshoro	Japan	371	0.26	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Otaruko	Japan	374	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Iwanaiko	Japan	398	0.3	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Esashi	Japan	525	0.04	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1971 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 2431.