Historical tsunamis · Dec 27, 2003, 4:00 PM UTC
2003 Loyalty Islands tsunami
New Caledonia
The tsunami of Dec 27, 2003, 4:00 PM UTC originated near Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 27, 2003, 4:00 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.15 m
- Observation records
- 2
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.15 m.
2 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Vila, Efate Island (Vanuatu) after 0:51 h.
Map of observation sites
2Each 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 27, 2003, 4:00 PM UTC
- 0:51 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.08 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vanuatu | 1 | 0.08 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | 0:51 h |
| New Caledonia | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
2 / 2Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.08 m | 496 km | Vanuatu |
| Noumea | — | 347 km | New Caledonia |
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.