Historical tsunamis · Dec 18, 2001, 4:02 AM UTC
2001 Taiwan tsunami
Taiwan
The tsunami of Dec 18, 2001, 4:02 AM UTC originated near Taiwan (Taiwan).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 18, 2001, 4:02 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.8
- Depth
- 14 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.16 m
- Observation records
- 6
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake at a depth of 14 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.16 m (Su-Ao, Yilan, Taiwan).
6 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Yonaguni (Japan) after 0:10 h.
Map of observation sites
6Each 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) · Dec 18, 2001, 4:02 AM UTC
- 0:10 hJapan · Yonaguni · 0.12 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | 2 | 0.16 m Su-Ao, Yilan | — | — |
 Japan | 4 | 0.12 m Yonaguni | — | 0:10 h |
Highest documented water heights
6 / 6Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Su-Ao, Yilan | 0.16 m | 113 km | Taiwan |
| Geng Fang | 0.14 m | 137 km | Taiwan |
| Yonaguni · Okinawa | 0.12 m | 59 km | Japan |
| Iriomote Island · Okinawa | 0.10 m | 114 km | Japan |
| Uehara · Okinawa | 0.06 m | 120 km | Japan |
| Ishigakiko · Okinawa | 0.05 m | 152 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.