Historical tsunamis · May 3, 1998, 11:30 PM UTC
1998 Taiwan: Southeast Of tsunami
Taiwan
The tsunami of May 3, 1998, 11:30 PM UTC originated near Taiwan: Southeast Of (Taiwan).
Key facts
- Date
- May 3, 1998, 11:30 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.13 m
- Observation records
- 15
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.13 m (Mera, Japan).
15 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Ishigakiko (Japan) after 0:32 h.
Map of observation sites
15Each 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) · May 3, 1998, 11:30 PM UTC
- 0:29 hTaiwan · Lanyu · 0.07 m
- 0:32 hJapan · Ishigakiko · 0.03 m
11 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Japan | 14 | 0.13 m Mera | — | 0:32 h |
| Taiwan | 1 | 0.07 m Lanyu | — | 0:29 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 15Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mera · Chiba | 0.13 m | 1,988 km | Japan |
| Mera · Chiba | 0.13 m | 1,988 km | Japan |
| Miyake Island · Bonin Is, Tokyo | 0.11 m | 1,903 km | Japan |
| Okada · Izu-Oshima, Tokyo | 0.11 m | 1,948 km | Japan |
| Lanyu | 0.07 m | 393 km | Taiwan |
| Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi | 0.06 m | 1,384 km | Japan |
| Aburatsu · Miyazaki | 0.05 m | 1,193 km | Japan |
| Makurazaki · Kagoshima | 0.05 m | 1,110 km | Japan |
| Murotomisaki · Kochi | 0.05 m | 1,494 km | Japan |
| Amami · Kagoshima | 0.04 m | 790 km | Japan |
| Miyako Island · Okinawa | 0.04 m | 275 km | Japan |
| Naze · Kagoshima | 0.04 m | 794 km | Japan |
| Ishigakiko · Okinawa | 0.03 m | 254 km | Japan |
| Naha · Okinawa | 0.03 m | 495 km | Japan |
| Yonaguni · Okinawa | 0.02 m | 338 km | Japan |
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.