Historical tsunamis · Jul 17, 1998, 8:49 AM UTC
1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Jul 17, 1998, 8:49 AM UTC originated near Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Jul 17, 1998, 8:49 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.0
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 15.0 m
- Deaths
- 1,636
- Injuries
- 1,000
- Houses destroyed
- many (about 101–1,000)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 93
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 15.0 m (Arop, Papua New Guinea).
93 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Amami (Japan) after 5:48 h.
The database records 1,636 deaths.
Houses destroyed: many (about 101–1,000).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
93Each 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) · Jul 17, 1998, 8:49 AM UTC
- 5:48 hJapan · Amami · 0.14 m
21 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 49 | 15.0 m Arop | 2,205 | — |
 Japan | 38 | 0.23 m Tosa-Shimizu | — | 5:48 h |
 New Zealand | 3 | 0.10 m Sumner Head | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 2 | 0.02 m Dekehtik, Pohnpei | — | — |
 Palau | 1 | 0.02 m Malakal Island, Caroline Islands | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 93Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arop | 15.03 m | 54 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Malol | 11.89 m | 47 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Western Spit, Sissano Lagoon | 11.00 m | 57 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Eastern Spit, Sissano Lagoon | 10.80 m | 53 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Sissano | 10.00 m | 60 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Teles | 10.00 m | 40 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Eastern Spit, Sissano Lagoon | 9.60 m | 53 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Malol | 9.43 m | 50 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Warapu | 7.95 m | 57 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Eastern Spit, Sissano Lagoon | 7.60 m | 53 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Marok | 7.39 m | 39 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Aitape · Sandaun | 7.20 m | 34 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Yakoi | 7.20 m | 34 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Aitape · Sandaun | 6.90 m | 34 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Aitape · Sandaun | 5.10 m | 34 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.