Historical tsunamis · Aug 21, 2003, 12:12 PM UTC
2003 South Island tsunami
New Zealand
The tsunami of Aug 21, 2003, 12:12 PM UTC originated near South Island (New Zealand).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 21, 2003, 12:12 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake and landslide
- Magnitude
- M7.2
- Depth
- 28 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 4.00 m
- Injuries
- few (up to about 50)
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 3
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake at a depth of 28 km.
The highest documented water height was 4.00 m (Charles Sound, New Zealand).
3 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Kembla (Australia) after 3:26 h.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
3Each 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) · Aug 21, 2003, 12:12 PM UTC
- 2:00 hNew Zealand · Jackson Bay · 0.15 m
- 3:26 hAustralia · Port Kembla · 0.07 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 2 | 4.00 m Charles Sound | — | 2:00 h |
 Australia | 1 | 0.07 m Port Kembla | — | 3:26 h |
Highest documented water heights
3 / 3Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Sound | 4.00 m | 4 km | New Zealand |
| Jackson Bay | 0.15 m | 172 km | New Zealand |
| Port Kembla | 0.07 m | 1,818 km | Australia |
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.