July 30, 1972 Tsunami: SE. Alaska, AK, United States
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake and a landslide began at SE. Alaska, AK, United States on July 30, 1972 at 21:45:14 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places.
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
- July 30, 1972, 21:45:14 UTC
- Source
- SE. Alaska, AK, United States
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.6, 25 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- -2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -2.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 56.820° N, 135.685° W
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
The main shock of this 7.6 magnitude earthquake, in which the Fairweather fault ruptured over a length of 75 km, was felt over a large area of SE Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. At Sitka, a few chimneys fell and some minor landslides were reported. Slight damage also was sustained at Hoonah, Juneau, Pelican, and Yakutat. At least 19 aftershocks were felt at Sitka through Aug. 29. A small tsunami was recorded in Sitka and in Juneau, where the Coast Guard reported confused whitecaps. An additional wave on Avoss Lake, Baranof Island, threw a boat on shore.
1972. July 30. Southeast Alaska. At Sitka, a few chimneys fell and some minor landslides were reported. Slight damage also was sustained at Hoonah, Juneau, Pelican, and Yakutat. The Fairweather fault ruptured over a length of 75 km. Seiches were observed in swimming pools as far south as Seattle, Wash. At least 19 aftershocks were
felt at Sitka through Aug. 29. A tsunami of 10 cm was recorded at Juneau and 8 cm at Sitka. The main shock was felt over a large area of southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Canada. Magnitude 7.4 mb AB3, 7.2 TJkn PAS, 7.1 Ukn BRK. (reference #542)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitka, AK, AK | United States | 33 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Berry Island, AK, AK | United States | 118 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Juneau, AK, AK | United States | 181 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1972The 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 2049.