Historical tsunamis · Jan 13, 1941, 4:27 PM UTC
1941 Bismarck Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Jan 13, 1941, 4:27 PM UTC originated near Bismarck Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 13, 1941, 4:27 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.4
- Depth
- 15 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.15 m
- Deaths
- 4
- Houses destroyed
- 1
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 3
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake at a depth of 15 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.15 m (Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea).
3 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
The database records 4 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 1.
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
3Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Jan 13, 1941, 4:27 PM UTC
- 0:02 hPapua New Guinea · Rabaul, New Britain · 0.15 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 3 | 0.15 m Rabaul, New Britain | — | 0:02 h |
Highest documented water heights
3 / 3Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabaul, New Britain · East New Britain | 0.15 m | 13 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Bainings, New Britain | — | 37 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Blanche Bay, New Britain · East New Britain | — | 27 km | Papua New Guinea |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.