Historical tsunamis · Aug 27, 2012, 4:37 AM UTC
2012 El Salvador-Nicaragua tsunami
El Salvador
The tsunami of Aug 27, 2012, 4:37 AM UTC originated near El Salvador-Nicaragua (El Salvador).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 27, 2012, 4:37 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.3
- Depth
- 28 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 6.30 m
- Injuries
- 40
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 39
- Countries affected
- 7
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake at a depth of 28 km.
The highest documented water height was 6.30 m (Peninsula San Juan del Gozo, El Salvador).
39 observation sites in 7 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at D43413 Bpr, 360 Nm SW Acapulco (Mexico) after 1:38 h.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
39Each 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) · Aug 27, 2012, 4:37 AM UTC
- 0:46 hEl Salvador · Acajutla · 0.06 m
- 1:38 hMexico · D43413 Bpr, 360 Nm SW Acapulco · 0.01 m
- 2:31 hEcuador · Baltra Island · 0.36 m
- 8:20 hChile · San Antonio · 0.02 m
- 15:59 hNew Zealand · Lottin Point · 0.06 m
10 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | 26 | 6.30 m Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | — | 0:46 h |
 Nicaragua | 3 | 0.50 m Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | — | — |
 Ecuador | 3 | 0.36 m Baltra Island | — | 2:31 h |
 Chile | 4 | 0.20 m Easter Island | — | 8:20 h |
 New Zealand | 1 | 0.06 m Lottin Point | — | 15:59 h |
 Peru | 1 | 0.01 m D32413 Bpr, 1000 Nm W-NW of Lima | — | — |
 Mexico | 1 | 0.01 m D43413 Bpr, 360 Nm SW Acapulco | — | 1:38 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 39Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 6.30 m | 120 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 5.80 m | 120 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 5.60 m | 117 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 5.30 m | 116 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 4.90 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 4.80 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 4.80 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 4.50 m | 119 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 4.10 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.70 m | 117 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.50 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.50 m | 122 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.20 m | 121 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.20 m | 120 km | El Salvador |
| Peninsula San Juan del Gozo | 3.00 m | 121 km | El Salvador |
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.