August 17, 1983 Tsunami: Kamchatka Bay, Russia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at Kamchatka Bay, Russia on August 17, 1983 at 10:55:54 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.1 meters. 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
- August 17, 1983, 10:55:54 UTC
- Source
- Kamchatka Bay, Russia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 63 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -3.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 55.867° N, 161.287° 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 6.5 Ms (USGS) earthquake at 10:55 UT in Kamchatka Bay, Russia generated a faint tsunami recorded 29 minutes after the earthquake.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ust'Kamchatsk, Kamchatka | Russia | 91 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 11:25 |
More
Every tsunami in 1983The 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 2147.