Historical tsunamis · Mar 19, 2009, 6:17 PM UTC
2009 Tonga tsunami
Tonga
The tsunami of Mar 19, 2009, 6:17 PM UTC originated near Tonga (Tonga).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 19, 2009, 6:17 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 34 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.15 m
- Observation records
- 27
- Countries affected
- 12
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 34 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.15 m (Callao la Punta, Peru).
27 observation sites in 12 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Niue (Niue) after 0:42 h.
Map of observation sites
27Each 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) · Mar 19, 2009, 6:17 PM UTC
- 0:33 hTonga · Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) · 0.06 m
- 0:42 hNiue · Niue · 0.03 m
- 1:41 hFiji · Suva, King's Wharf · 0.04 m
- 1:54 hCook Islands · Rarotonga · 0.09 m
- 3:46 hNew Zealand · Owenga, Chatham Island · 0.11 m
- 3:46 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.07 m
- 5:14 hFrench Polynesia · Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas Islands · 0.07 m
- 5:57 hUnited States · Kawaihae, Hawaii, Hi · 0.04 m
- 13:42 hChile · Coquimbo · 0.08 m
- 13:51 hEcuador · Baltra Island · 0.03 m
- 14:32 hPeru · Callao la Punta · 0.15 m
21 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Peru | 1 | 0.15 m Callao la Punta | — | 14:32 h |
 Ecuador | 3 | 0.14 m Santa Cruz Island | — | 13:51 h |
 New Zealand | 3 | 0.11 m Owenga, Chatham Island | — | 3:46 h |
 United States | 4 | 0.09 m Kahului, Maui, Hi | — | 5:57 h |
 French Polynesia | 3 | 0.09 m Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands | — | 5:14 h |
| USA Territory | 1 | 0.09 m Pago Pago, American Samoa | — | — |
 Cook Islands | 1 | 0.09 m Rarotonga | — | 1:54 h |
 Chile | 6 | 0.08 m Caldera | — | 13:42 h |
 Vanuatu | 1 | 0.07 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | 3:46 h |
| Tonga | 2 | 0.06 m Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) | — | 0:33 h |
 Fiji | 1 | 0.04 m Suva, King's Wharf | — | 1:41 h |
 Niue | 1 | 0.03 m Niue | — | 0:42 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 27Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callao la Punta · Callao | 0.15 m | 10,247 km | Peru |
| Santa Cruz Island · Galapagos Islands | 0.14 m | 9,404 km | Ecuador |
| Owenga, Chatham Island | 0.11 m | 2,332 km | New Zealand |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.09 m | 5,246 km | United States |
| Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands · Marquesas Islands | 0.09 m | 4,002 km | French Polynesia |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | 0.09 m | 1,057 km | USA Territory |
| Rarotonga | 0.09 m | 1,548 km | Cook Islands |
| Caldera · Atacama | 0.08 m | 10,138 km | Chile |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | 0.08 m | 9,950 km | Chile |
| Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas Islands · Marquesas Islands | 0.07 m | 4,062 km | French Polynesia |
| Port Napier | 0.07 m | 1,988 km | New Zealand |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.07 m | 1,870 km | Vanuatu |
| Valparaiso · Valparaiso | 0.07 m | 9,773 km | Chile |
| Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · Hi | 0.06 m | 5,234 km | United States |
| La Libertad · Santa Elena | 0.06 m | 10,305 km | Ecuador |
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.