Historical tsunamis · Mar 29, 2015, 11:48 PM UTC
2015 Bismarck Sea tsunami
Papua New Guinea
The tsunami of Mar 29, 2015, 11:48 PM UTC originated near Bismarck Sea (Papua New Guinea).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 29, 2015, 11:48 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 41 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.50 m
- Observation records
- 2
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 41 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.50 m (Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea).
2 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tarekukure, Taro Island (Solomon Islands) after 1:11 h.
Map of observation sites
2Each 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) · Mar 29, 2015, 11:48 PM UTC
- 1:11 hSolomon Islands · Tarekukure, Taro Island · 0.03 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | 0.50 m Rabaul, New Britain | — | — |
 Solomon Islands | 1 | 0.03 m Tarekukure, Taro Island | — | 1:11 h |
Highest documented water heights
2 / 2Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rabaul, New Britain · East New Britain | 0.50 m | 70 km | Papua New Guinea |
| Tarekukure, Taro Island | 0.03 m | 478 km | Solomon Islands |
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.