Historical tsunamis · Dec 23, 2004, 2:59 PM UTC
2004 Macquarie Island tsunami
Australia
The tsunami of Dec 23, 2004, 2:59 PM UTC originated near Macquarie Island (Australia).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 23, 2004, 2:59 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m.
5 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Jackson Bay (New Zealand) after 1:31 h.
Map of observation sites
5Each 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 23, 2004, 2:59 PM UTC
- 1:31 hNew Zealand · Jackson Bay · 0.12 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 New Zealand | 2 | 0.12 m Jackson Bay | — | 1:31 h |
| Australia | 2 | 0.08 m Spring Bay, Tasmania | — | — |
 Vanuatu | 1 | 0.03 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Bay | 0.12 m | 813 km | New Zealand |
| Dog Island | 0.10 m | 604 km | New Zealand |
| Spring Bay, Tasmania | 0.08 m | 1,281 km | Australia |
| Port Kembla | 0.05 m | 1,858 km | Australia |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.03 m | 3,556 km | Vanuatu |
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.