Historical tsunamis · Apr 13, 2014, 12:36 PM UTC
2014 Solomon Islands tsunami
Solomon Islands
The tsunami of Apr 13, 2014, 12:36 PM UTC originated near Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 13, 2014, 12:36 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.4
- Depth
- 39 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.16 m
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake at a depth of 39 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.16 m (Lifou Island, New Caledonia).
9 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Port Vila, Efate Island (Vanuatu) after 1:27 h.
Map of observation sites
9Each 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) · Apr 13, 2014, 12:36 PM UTC
- 1:27 hVanuatu · Port Vila, Efate Island · 0.05 m
- 1:48 hSolomon Islands · Tarekukure, Taro Island · 0.02 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 New Caledonia | 3 | 0.16 m Lifou Island | — | — |
 Vanuatu | 2 | 0.08 m Luganville | — | 1:27 h |
| Solomon Islands | 3 | 0.03 m Lata Wharf, Nendo Is, Santa Cruz Is | — | 1:48 h |
 Papua New Guinea | 1 | 0.01 m D55012 Bpr, Coral Sea | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
9 / 9Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifou Island | 0.16 m | 1,186 km | New Caledonia |
| Hienghene | 0.08 m | 1,067 km | New Caledonia |
| Luganville | 0.08 m | 714 km | Vanuatu |
| Ouinne | 0.08 m | 1,264 km | New Caledonia |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.05 m | 969 km | Vanuatu |
| Lata Wharf, Nendo Is, Santa Cruz Is | 0.03 m | 418 km | Solomon Islands |
| Honiara, Guadalcanal | 0.02 m | 321 km | Solomon Islands |
| Tarekukure, Taro Island | 0.02 m | 814 km | Solomon Islands |
| D55012 Bpr, Coral Sea | 0.01 m | 615 km | Papua New Guinea |
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.