Tsunamis on the Solomon Islands
In a total of 20 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1897 a total of 123 people died on the Solomon Islands. Compared to other countries, Tsunamis therefore occur more often than average, but still moderate.The strongest tidal wave registered on the Solomon Islands so far reached a height of 12.10 meters. At this Tsunami on 04/01/2007 a total of 50 people have been killed.
The biggest impact in terms of lifes, injuries, destroyed homes and economy had been a tsunami on 10/03/1931. A tidal wave of up to nine meters killed 50 humans and destroyed vast areas.
Other natural hazards on the Solomon Islands:
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Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes or other seismic eruptions on ground of an oceans and can cause massive tidal waves, which run with enormous force on land, causing great devastation. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage.The marked positions on the map represent the most effected regions within the past 130 years.
The largest tsunamis on the Solomon Islands since 1897
| Date | Cause | Max. tidal wave | Fatalities | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2013 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Santa Cruz Islands) with a magnitude of 7.9. | 11 m | 10 | |
| 01/03/2010 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 7.5 m | 0 | |
| 04/01/2007 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 8.1. The tsunami also reached New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea. | 12.10 m | 50 | |
| 01/20/2003 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.3. | 2 m | 0 | |
| 11/16/2000 | Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 8.0. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 04/21/1997 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Santa Cruz Is. Vanuatu) with a magnitude of 7.7. | 3 m | 0 | |
| 08/10/1988 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.6. | 0 m | 1 | |
| 02/01/1974 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.1. | 4.5 m | 0 | |
| 01/31/1974 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.0. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 07/26/1971 | Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9. | 3 m | 0 | |
| 12/31/1966 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Santa Cruz Islands) with a magnitude of 7.8. | 2 m | 0 | |
| 05/22/1960 | Earthquake in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 9.5. The tsunami caused damages in 13 further countries. A total of 2,226 humans died. | 1.5 m | 0 | |
| 08/17/1959 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.3. | 1 m | 0 | |
| 11/08/1950 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.3. | 1.2 m | 0 | |
| 04/30/1939 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.9. | 10.50 m | 12 | |
| 10/03/1931 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (San Cristobal Island) with a magnitude of 7.8. | 9 m | 50 | |
| 09/16/1926 | Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 6.9. | 2 m | 0 | |
| 08/09/1901 | Earthquake in New Caledonia (Loyalty Islands) with a magnitude of 7.9. The tsunami also reached United States, Vanuatu. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 01/15/1899 | Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (East Coast, New Ireland) The tsunami also reached Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu. | 0 m | 0 | |
| 03/26/1897 | Volcano on the Solomon Islands (Tinakula, Santa Cruz Islands) | 0 m | 0 |
These evaluations are based on data from the Global Historical Tsunami Database of the National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, and World Data Service (NGDC/WDS), doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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Recent earthquakes and their magnitudes on the Solomon Islands
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