Significant Earthquake

Date Earthquake Location Earthquake Parameters
Focal
Depth		 Magnitude MMI Int
Year Mo Dy Hr Mn Sec Name Latitude Longitude Mw Ms Mb Ml Mfa Unk
1946 4 1 12 28 56.0 ALASKA: UNIMAK ISLAND 53.320 -163.190 50 8.1 7.3 6
Significant Earthquake
Earthquake Effects Total Effects (Earthquake and Tsunami, Volcano, etc.)
Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses
Destroyed		 Houses
Damaged		 Deaths Missing Injuries Damage Houses
Destroyed		 Houses
Damaged
Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De Num De Num De Num De $Mill De Num De Num De
164 3 26.260 4 3


Comments for the Significant Earthquake

Comments for the Significant Earthquake

Display listing of nearby significant earthquakes

On April 1, 1946, at 12:29 [local time] a rather strong earthquake occurred with source to the south of Unimak Island, causing one of the most destructive tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean. (reference #414)

Different Reports of Epicenters

LatitudeLongitudeMagnitude DepthReference #
52.75N163.5W7.350#239
52.8N163.5W7.825#236 and #237
53.32N163.19W7.3#542
53.5N163W7.433#79
52.75N163.5W7.550#414
52.75N163.5W8.230#150

Reference #79 lists 173 killed by the tsunami.


References for the Significant Earthquake

References for the Significant Earthquake

ID Author Year Citation
45 U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1928-1986 United States Earthquakes, Annual publication, published 1928-1986. vol.s for 1928-1965 issued by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey; volumes for 1966-1969 issued by the National Earthquake Information Center; volume for 1970 issued by the National Geophysical Data Center; volumes for 1971-1972 issued by the National Geophysical And Solar-Terrestrial Data Center; volumes for 1973-1980 published jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey; volumes for 1981-1986 published by the U.S. Geological Survey. [on shelf]
79 Iida, Kumizi, Doak C. Cox, and George Pararas-Carayannis 1967 Preliminary Catalog of Tsunamis Occurring in the Pacific Ocean, HIG-67-10, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 275 p. Bibliography to the Preliminary Catalog of Tsunamis Occurring in the Pacific Ocean, December 1967, 27 p.
130 Gutenberg, B. and C.F. Richter 1965 Seismicity of the earth and associated phenomena. Princeton University Press, 1954 (second edition); Hafner Publishing Company, New York and London (facsimile edition), 310 p.
150 Iida, Kumizi 1984 Catalog of tsunamis in Japan and its neighboring countries. Aichi Institute of Technology, Yachigusa, Yakusa-cho, Toyota-shi, 470-03, Japan, 52 p.
236 Lander, James F., and Patricia A. Lockridge 1989 United States Tsunamis (Including United States Possessions) 1690-1988, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA, Publication 41-2, 265 p.
237 Lander, James F., Patricia A. Lockridge, and Michael J. Kozuch 1993 Tsunamis affecting the West Coast of the United States, 1806-1992, KGRD no. 29, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA, September, 242 p.
239 Lander, James F. 1996 Tsunamis Affecting Alaska 1737-1996, KGRD no. 31, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, Colorado, USA, September, 155 p.
414 Soloviev, S.L., and Ch.N. Go 1974 A catalogue of tsunamis on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Nauka Publishing House, Moscow, 439 p. [Canadian Translation of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences no. 5077, 1984, translation available from Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, National Research Council, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A OS2, 447 p.]
542 Stover, Carl W., and Jerry L. Coffman 1993 Seismicity of the United States, 1568-1989 (Revised), U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1527, United States Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
3425 Bodle, R.R. 1946 Aleutian Earthquake and Sea Wave, April 1, 1946. Information memo from R.R. Bodle, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, June 1946, 2 p.
3430 Jefferson, Glen 1946 Report of Earthquake and Tidal Wave, Unimak Island, Alaska. Memo dated April 5, 1946 to the Chief, U.S. Weather Bureau, Washington, D.C. from Glen Jefferson, (Alaska) Regional Director. (3 pages.) Attachments include: (1) Chronological reports of events occurring during the earthquakes and tidal waves; (2) U.S. Coast Guard dispatches; and (3) U.S. Navy dispatches. (24 p.)