Historical tsunamis · Mar 2, 2016, 12:49 PM UTC
2016 SW. Sumatra tsunami
Indonesia
The tsunami of Mar 2, 2016, 12:49 PM UTC originated near SW. Sumatra (Indonesia).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 2, 2016, 12:49 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.8
- Depth
- 24 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.21 m
- Observation records
- 13
- Countries affected
- 5
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake at a depth of 24 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.21 m (Telukdalam, Sumatra, Indonesia).
13 observation sites in 5 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Cocos Island (Keeling) (Australia) after 1:30 h.
Map of observation sites
13Each 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 2, 2016, 12:49 PM UTC
- 1:08 hIndonesia · Tanabalah, Sumatra · 0.08 m
- 1:30 hAustralia · Cocos Island (Keeling) · 0.05 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 5 | 0.21 m Telukdalam, Sumatra | — | 1:08 h |
 Australia | 3 | 0.09 m Christmas Island | — | 1:30 h |
 Thailand | 1 | 0.01 m D23401 Bpr, 600 Nm W-NW of Phuket | — | — |
 Maldives | 3 | — | — | — |
 Mauritius | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
13 / 13Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telukdalam, Sumatra · North Sumatra | 0.21 m | 723 km | Indonesia |
| Christmas Island | 0.09 m | 1,389 km | Australia |
| Tanabalah, Sumatra · West Sumatra | 0.08 m | 673 km | Indonesia |
| Cocos Island (Keeling) | 0.05 m | 841 km | Australia |
| Padang, Sumatra · West Sumatra | 0.05 m | 802 km | Indonesia |
| Sabang, Sumatra · Aceh | 0.02 m | 1,197 km | Indonesia |
| D23401 Bpr, 600 Nm W-NW of Phuket | 0.01 m | 1,662 km | Thailand |
| D56001 Bpr, West Java | 0.01 m | 1,984 km | Indonesia |
| D56003 Bpr, NW of Western Australia | 0.01 m | 2,815 km | Australia |
| Gan | — | 2,401 km | Maldives |
| Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaalu | — | 2,685 km | Maldives |
| Male | — | 2,525 km | Maldives |
| Rodrigues Island, Port Mathurin | — | 3,725 km | Mauritius |
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.