Historical tsunamis · Oct 28, 2012, 3:04 AM UTC
2012 British Columbia tsunami
Canada
The tsunami of Oct 28, 2012, 3:04 AM UTC originated near British Columbia (Canada).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 28, 2012, 3:04 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 14 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 13.0 m
- Deaths
- 1
- Observation records
- 178
- Countries affected
- 16
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 14 km.
The highest documented water height was 13.0 m (Davidson Inlet, Canada).
178 observation sites in 16 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Alexander, Ak (United States) after 1:06 h.
The database records 1 deaths.
Map of observation sites
178Each 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 28, 2012, 3:04 AM UTC
- 0:15 hCanada · Henslung Cove, British Columbia · 0.21 m
- 1:06 hUnited States · Port Alexander, Ak · 0.11 m
- 6:10 hUSA Territory · Midway Islands · 0.09 m
- 7:53 hKiribati · Christmas Island, Line Islands · 0.03 m
- 9:16 hFrench Polynesia · Nuku Hiva Island, Marquesas Islands · 0.16 m
- 10:29 hJapan · Mera · 0.11 m
- 10:32 hTuvalu · Funafuti · 0.02 m
- 10:43 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.06 m
- 10:45 hAustralia · Point Murat · 0.05 m
- 11:25 hCook Islands · Rarotonga · 0.15 m
- 11:44 hSolomon Islands · Lata Wharf, Nendo Is, Santa Cruz Is · 0.04 m
- 13:15 hNew Caledonia · Lifou Island · 0.02 m
- 13:15 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.06 m
- 14:16 hNew Zealand · Raoul Island, Boat Cove · 0.06 m
- 16:49 hChile · Valparaiso · 0.08 m
97 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 75 | 13.0 m Davidson Inlet | — | 0:15 h |
 United States | 65 | 0.79 m Kahului, Maui, Hi | 1 | 1:06 h |
 French Polynesia | 6 | 0.24 m Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas Islands | — | 9:16 h |
 Cook Islands | 1 | 0.15 m Rarotonga | — | 11:25 h |
 New Zealand | 6 | 0.14 m Owenga, Chatham Island | — | 14:16 h |
 Japan | 4 | 0.11 m Mera | — | 10:29 h |
 Chile | 3 | 0.10 m Talcahuano | — | 16:49 h |
| USA Territory | 4 | 0.09 m Midway Islands | — | 6:10 h |
 New Caledonia | 4 | 0.08 m Ouinne | — | 13:15 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.06 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 10:43 h |
 Vanuatu | 1 | 0.06 m Port Vila, Efate Island | — | 13:15 h |
 Papua New Guinea | 1 | 0.05 m Manus Island, Admiralty Islands | — | — |
 Australia | 1 | 0.05 m Point Murat | — | 10:45 h |
 Solomon Islands | 3 | 0.04 m Lata Wharf, Nendo Is, Santa Cruz Is | — | 11:44 h |
 Kiribati | 1 | 0.03 m Christmas Island, Line Islands | — | 7:53 h |
 Tuvalu | 2 | 0.02 m Fongafale | — | 10:32 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 178Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 12.98 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 9.49 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 8.97 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 8.80 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Gilbert Bay · Bc | 8.45 m | 108 km | Canada |
| Saunders Island · Bc | 8.24 m | 36 km | Canada |
| Tadasl · Bc | 8.09 m | 104 km | Canada |
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 8.04 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Gilbert Bay · Bc | 8.04 m | 108 km | Canada |
| Saunders Island · Bc | 7.69 m | 36 km | Canada |
| Davidson Inlet · Bc | 7.67 m | 4 km | Canada |
| Mike Inlet · Bc | 7.62 m | 37 km | Canada |
| Saunders Island · Bc | 7.56 m | 36 km | Canada |
| Gudal Bay · Bc | 7.41 m | 58 km | Canada |
| Otard Bay · Bc | 7.37 m | 125 km | Canada |
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.