Historical tsunamis · Jan 5, 1992, 6:00 AM UTC
1992 South China Sea tsunami
China
The tsunami of Jan 5, 1992, 6:00 AM UTC originated near South China Sea (China).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 5, 1992, 6:00 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M3.7
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.80 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 3.7 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 0.80 m (Yulin, Sanya, Hainan Island, China).
5 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
5Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 5 | 0.80 m Yulin, Sanya, Hainan Island | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yulin, Sanya, Hainan Island | 0.80 m | 162 km | China |
| Beibu Bay, Weizhou Island | 0.25 m | 354 km | China |
| Xiuying, Hainan Island | 0.24 m | 329 km | China |
| Dongfang, Hainan Island | 0.23 m | 138 km | China |
| Qinglan, Hainan Island | 0.17 m | 344 km | China |
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.