December 5, 1997 Tsunami: Kamchatka, Russia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake began at Kamchatka, Russia on December 5, 1997 at 11:26:54 UTC. The water rose as high as 8 meters. Its effects were recorded at 19 places in at least 5 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
The tsunami
- Date
- December 5, 1997, 11:26:54 UTC
- Source
- Kamchatka, Russia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.8, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 8 m (26.2 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 19
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 0.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 54.841° N, 162.035° 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 Ms 7.6 (Mw 7.8) earthquake occurred off the eastern coast of Kamchatka produced a small tsunami that had local runup heights of 0.5 to 1.5 meter measured at several sites where the survey team could land. They observed a strip of broken ice and sea grass cast on the shore. It was recorded at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy with an amplitude of only 2 cm. A nearer marigraph at Ust-Kamchatsk was not operating. It was not recorded in Japan except as a sea oscillation of height of 10 cm at ChikeiIt (possible tsunami). In Hawaii it was recorded at Kahului, Haleina, Hilo, Honolulu, Snug Harbor, and Hanalei. In Alaska it was recorded at Adak and Unalaska. The wave was also recorded at Midway. (reference #1315)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kronotsky Peninsula, Cape Kozlova | Russia | 32 | 1.5 | ||||
| Chazma R., Kamchatka | Russia | 34 | 8 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Seismostation Kronoki | Russia | 63 | 0.35 | ||||
| Gms Cemlyachiki (Near Zhupanovo) | Russia | 155 | 0.25 | ||||
| Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka | Russia | 301 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Adak, Sweeper Cove, AK, AK | United States | 1,453 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, AK, AK | United States | 2,029 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Midway Islands, HI | US Territories | 3,392 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanalei, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 4,827 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, HI, HI | United States | 4,859 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Haleiwa, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 4,961 | 0.26 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Snug Harbor, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 4,999 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Honolulu, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 5,001 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Makapuu Point, Oahu, HI, HI | United States | 5,011 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kahului, Maui, HI, HI | United States | 5,116 | 0.3 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hilo, Hawaii, HI, HI | United States | 5,304 | 0.24 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 8,065 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Chikeilt | Japan | 0.1 | |||||
| Storokh R., Kamchatka | Russia | 5 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1997The 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 2277.