Historical tsunamis · Oct 7, 2009, 10:03 PM UTC
2009 Vanuatu Islands tsunami
Vanuatu
The tsunami of Oct 7, 2009, 10:03 PM UTC originated near Vanuatu Islands (Vanuatu).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 7, 2009, 10:03 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.6
- Depth
- 45 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.29 m
- Observation records
- 37
- Countries affected
- 15
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at a depth of 45 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.29 m (Port Vila, Efate Island, Vanuatu).
37 observation sites in 15 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Honiara, Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) after 1:38 h.
Map of observation sites
37Each 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) · Oct 7, 2009, 10:03 PM UTC
- 0:58 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.29 m
- 1:38 hSolomon Islands · Honiara, Guadalcanal · 0.07 m
- 2:46 hFiji · Suva, King's Wharf · 0.03 m
- 3:47 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.04 m
- 3:58 hPapua New Guinea · Manus Island, Admiralty Islands · 0.05 m
- 6:47 hAustralia · Rosslyn Bay · 0.12 m
- 6:48 hFrench Polynesia · Papeete, Tahiti · 0.03 m
- 7:09 hUnited States · Honolulu, Oahu, Hi · 0.05 m
- 8:05 hUSA Territory · Midway Islands · 0.06 m
- 13:44 hMexico · Cabo San Lucas · 0.04 m
20 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 2 | 0.29 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | 0:58 h |
 United States | 16 | 0.19 m Kahului, Maui, Hi | — | 7:09 h |
 Australia | 1 | 0.12 m Rosslyn Bay | — | 6:47 h |
 Chile | 3 | 0.09 m Coquimbo | — | — |
| USA Territory | 3 | 0.07 m Pago Pago, American Samoa | — | 8:05 h |
 Solomon Islands | 1 | 0.07 m Honiara, Guadalcanal | — | 1:38 h |
 Papua New Guinea | 2 | 0.05 m Manus Island, Admiralty Islands | — | 3:58 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.04 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 3:47 h |
 Mexico | 1 | 0.04 m Cabo San Lucas | — | 13:44 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.04 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | — |
 Fiji | 2 | 0.03 m Lautoka | — | 2:46 h |
 Tonga | 1 | 0.03 m Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) | — | — |
 French Polynesia | 1 | 0.03 m Papeete, Tahiti | — | 6:48 h |
 Tuvalu | 1 | 0.02 m Funafuti | — | — |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.02 m Majuro, Marshall Islands | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 37Individual 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 | 0.29 m | 560 km | Vanuatu |
| Kahului, Maui, Hi · Hi | 0.19 m | 5,518 km | United States |
| Santa Barbara, Ca · Ca | 0.15 m | 9,383 km | United States |
| Rosslyn Bay | 0.12 m | 2,005 km | Australia |
| Kawaihae, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.11 m | 5,511 km | United States |
| Luganville | 0.10 m | 287 km | Vanuatu |
| Coquimbo · Coquimbo | 0.09 m | 12,213 km | Chile |
| Adak, Sweeper Cove, Ak · Ak | 0.08 m | 7,368 km | United States |
| Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · Hi | 0.08 m | 5,371 km | United States |
| Nikolski, Ak · Ak | 0.08 m | 7,677 km | United States |
| Port San Luis, Ca · Ca | 0.08 m | 9,321 km | United States |
| Caldera · Atacama | 0.07 m | 12,410 km | Chile |
| Hilo, Hawaii, Hi · Hi | 0.07 m | 5,554 km | United States |
| Honiara, Guadalcanal | 0.07 m | 818 km | Solomon Islands |
| Pago Pago, American Samoa · As | 0.07 m | 2,470 km | USA Territory |
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.