Historical tsunamis · Sep 8, 2002, 6:44 PM UTC
2002 Bismarck Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Sep 8, 2002, 6:44 PM UTC originated near Bismarck Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Sep 8, 2002, 6:44 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 13 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 5.50 m
- Deaths
- 4
- Injuries
- 70
- Houses destroyed
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 87
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 13 km.
The highest documented water height was 5.50 m (Kairiru Island, Victoria Bay, Papua New Guinea).
87 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Yap Island, Caroline Islands (Micronesia, Fed. States Of) after 2:32 h.
The database records 4 deaths.
Houses destroyed: few (up to about 50).
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
87Each 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) · Sep 8, 2002, 6:44 PM UTC
- 0:15 hPapua New Guinea · Kairiru Island, Victoria Bay · 5.50 m
- 2:32 hMicronesia, Fed. States Of · Yap Island, Caroline Islands · 0.03 m
- 5:11 hUSA Territory · Wake Island · 0.06 m
- 6:54 hJapan · Amami · 0.02 m
7 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 67 | 5.50 m Kairiru Island, Victoria Bay | — | 0:15 h |
 Japan | 17 | 0.15 m Murotomisaki | — | 6:54 h |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.06 m Wake Island | — | 5:11 h |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.03 m Yap Island, Caroline Islands | — | 2:32 h |
 Palau | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 87Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kairiru Island, Victoria Bay · East Sepik | 5.50 m | 65 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Victoria Bay, South · East Sepik | 5.01 m | 64 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Boiken · East Sepik | 4.00 m | 59 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Shagur 2 · East Sepik | 3.14 m | 68 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Brauniak · East Sepik | 2.74 m | 72 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Bagatai · East Sepik | 2.63 m | 71 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Boiken 2 · East Sepik | 2.56 m | 60 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Karawop · East Sepik | 2.56 m | 56 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Shagur 1 · East Sepik | 2.37 m | 68 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Burwan · East Sepik | 2.30 m | 65 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Victoria Bay, Back · East Sepik | 2.30 m | 64 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Paup | 2.29 m | 39 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Boiken 1 · East Sepik | 2.26 m | 60 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Shauer · East Sepik | 2.17 m | 65 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Wom Beach · East Sepik | 2.05 m | 78 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.