National Tsunami Warning Center, NOAA/NWS

Kuril Islands Tsunami of 15 January 2009

A major earthquake with a moment magnitude of 7.4 (USGS magnitude) occurred at 17:49:39 UTC 15 January 2009 (day 015) and was located 270 miles/432 km south of Severo-Kuril'sk, Kuril Islands, Russia (46.862N, 155.156E, 22.4mi/36.0km depth--USGS location).

This earthquake produced a tsunami that was recorded at tide gages monitored at the Tsunami Warning Centers. Many observatories provide data to the centers; such as the NOAA National Ocean Service, the Japanese Meteorological Agency, the U. of Hawaii Sea Level Center, the Chilean Navy, and the National Tidal Facility in Australia among others. Click on the site name to see a graph of the tsunami, when available. Listed wave heights are maximum amplitude in cm (above sea level). Observed Arrival time is the actual tsunami arrival time in UTC on gages where it could be determined. The Computed Arrival time is the estimated time of arrival computed at the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) based on the origin time and location. The Sample Interval column shows the time between samples.

For additional information about these tsunami events see the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center's homepage .

 

Travel time map

maximum amplitude graph

Travel Time Map
(click to enlarge)

Maximum Amplitude Graph
(click to enlarge)

 

Tide gage

Peak amplitude (above sea level in cm)

Observed Initial Arrival time (UTC)

Computed Initial Arrival time (UTC)

Initial motion

Sample Interval (min)

Data File (Julian Day Starts at  0000 UTC)

Arena Cove, CA

4.0

0221

0209

down

1

016

Port Orford, OR

3.0

?

0154

?

1

016

Ishigakijima, Japan

2.5

2301

2240

?

1

015 016

Wake Island

3.2

2152

2143

down

1

015   016

DART 21413
SE Tokyo, Japan
30.55N 152.117E

0.5

1955

1959

rise

1

015  

DART 21416
SE Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
48.29N 162.05E

1.6

1834

1836

rise

1

015  

DART 21418
NE Tokyo, Japan
38.71N 148.67E

?

1904

1901

rise

1

015  

DART 46413
E Adak, Alaska
48.87N 175.58W

0.5

2032

2028

rise

1

015  

Severo, Russia ***

11.1

1917

1909

rise

1


*** Contibuted by Tatiana Ivelskaya, Chief Sakhalin Tsunami Warning Center, Russia

T_Ivelskaya@SakhUGMS.ru

Return To:
NTWC Home Page