April 20, 1977 Tsunami: Solomon Islands
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake began at Solomon Islands on April 20, 1977 at 23:42:50 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- April 20, 1977, 23:42:50 UTC
- Source
- Solomon Islands
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.6, 19 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 9.890° S, 160.348° E
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.
On April 20, 1977, at 23:42 UTC, the second of the [four] earthquakes on the Solomon Islands occurred at a magnitude of 7.5, 30 min after the first shock and at almost the same place. It was reported that this earthquake produced a weak tsunami on Rennell Island although it is possible that it was the first earthquake on April 20 at 23:13 UTC which actually caused the tsunami. (reference #417)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rennell Island | Solomon Islands | 189 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1977The 1900sTsunamis of Solomon IslandsThe 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 2568.