Historical tsunamis · Aug 29, 2018, 3:51 AM UTC
2018 Loyalty Islands tsunami
New Caledonia
The tsunami of Aug 29, 2018, 3:51 AM UTC originated near Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 29, 2018, 3:51 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.1
- Depth
- 21 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.27 m
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake at a depth of 21 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.27 m (Lenakel, Tanna, Vanuatu).
8 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Litzlitz, Malekula Island (Vanuatu) after 2:22 h.
Map of observation sites
8Each 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 29, 2018, 3:51 AM UTC
- 2:22 hVanuatu · Litzlitz, Malekula Island · 0.02 m
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vanuatu | 3 | 0.27 m Lenakel, Tanna | — | 2:22 h |
| New Caledonia | 3 | 0.26 m Ouinne | — | — |
 Fiji | 2 | 0.02 m Suva, King's Wharf | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
8 / 8Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenakel, Tanna | 0.27 m | 291 km | Vanuatu |
| Ouinne | 0.26 m | 356 km | New Caledonia |
| Lifou Island | 0.12 m | 320 km | New Caledonia |
| Mare Island | 0.12 m | 239 km | New Caledonia |
| Port Vila, Efate Island | 0.10 m | 510 km | Vanuatu |
| Litzlitz, Malekula Island | 0.02 m | 713 km | Vanuatu |
| Suva, King's Wharf | 0.02 m | 969 km | Fiji |
| Lautoka | 0.01 m | 909 km | Fiji |
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.