Historical tsunamis · Oct 21, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC

2011 Kermadec Islands tsunami

New Zealand

The tsunami of Oct 21, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC originated near Kermadec Islands (New Zealand).

Key facts

Date
Oct 21, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC
Cause
Earthquake
Magnitude
M7.4
Depth
33 km
Maximum documented water height
0.14 m
Observation records
3
Countries affected
2

It was triggered by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake at a depth of 33 km.

The highest documented water height was 0.14 m (Raoul Island, Fishing Rock, New Zealand).

3 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.

All tsunamis in New ZealandRecord at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

3

Each 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.

  1. 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Oct 21, 2011, 5:57 PM UTC
  2. 0:19 hNew Zealand · Raoul Island, Boat Cove · 0.10 m

2 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

CountryObservation recordsMaximum documented water heightDeathsEarliest arrival
New Zealand20.14 m
Raoul Island, Fishing Rock		—0:19 h
New Caledonia10.05 m
Ouinne		——

Highest documented water heights

3 / 3

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.

Location / stationObserved heightDistance from sourceCountry
Raoul Island, Fishing Rock0.14 m165 kmNew Zealand
Raoul Island, Boat Cove0.10 m164 kmNew Zealand
Ouinne0.05 m1,882 kmNew Caledonia

More tsunamis in New Zealand

Tsunamis nearby

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.