June 20, 1990 Tsunami: Caspian Sea, Iran
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake and a landslide began at Caspian Sea, Iran on June 20, 1990 at 21:00:09 UTC. The water rose as high as 2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 6 places. It killed 40,000 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- June 20, 1990, 21:00:09 UTC
- Source
- Caspian Sea, Iran
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 19 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 2 m (6.6 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 36.957° N, 49.409° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 40,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 105,000 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- $7.2 billion with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 100,000 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 Rudbar-Tarom earthquake of 1990 June 20, the largest one in Iran over the past 35 yr, was accompanied by a small tsunami in the Caspian Sea, which produced run-ups of up to 2 m, and inundations of 1 km, reaffirming the existence of tsunami hazard along the Caspian shoreline, as suggested by historical reports[...]A hydrodynamic simulation using the earthquake dislocation as the source of the tsunami fails to reproduce both the amplitude of the waves, and especially their concentration between the cities of Kiashahr and Jafrood. Rather, we show that the model of an underwater landslide, presumably triggered by the earthquake, and taking place on the steep slopes of the continental shelf approximately 10 km offshore, can fit the principal inundation characteristics identified during the survey[...]The testimony of our witnesses confirms that a tsunami did take place following the 1990 Rudbar earthquake, the largest event recorded in northern Iran in modern times, even though it remained relatively modest and its flooding resulted in no significant damage or casualties. (reference #12413)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jafrood | Iran | 61 | 1 | 40 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Kiashahr | Iran | 72 | 2 | 1,000 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||
| Rudsar doubtful | Iran | 84 | 500 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | |||
| Chaboksar | Iran | 105 | 1 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | |||
| Havigh doubtful | Iran | 140 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey | ||||
| Namakabrood doubtful | Iran | 172 | 1 | 10 | Runup height, post-tsunami survey |
More
Every tsunami in 1990The 1900sTsunamis of IranThe 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 5703.