Historical tsunamis · Feb 10, 2021, 1:19 PM UTC
2021 Loyalty Islands tsunami
New Caledonia
The tsunami of Feb 10, 2021, 1:19 PM UTC originated near Loyalty Islands (New Caledonia).
Key facts
- Date
- Feb 10, 2021, 1:19 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.78 m
- Observation records
- 40
- Countries affected
- 10
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.78 m (Lenakel, Tanna, Vanuatu).
40 observation sites in 10 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Lenakel, Tanna (Vanuatu) after 0:56 h.
Map of observation sites
40Each 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) · Feb 10, 2021, 1:19 PM UTC
- 0:47 hNew Caledonia · Lifou Island · 0.19 m
- 0:56 hVanuatu · Lenakel, Tanna · 0.78 m
- 1:11 hAustralia · Lord Howe I. · 0.40 m
- 1:30 hFiji · Suva, King's Wharf · 0.05 m
- 2:07 hNew Zealand · North Cape · 0.22 m
- 2:10 hTonga · Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) Vuna Wharf · 0.04 m
- 3:03 hSamoa · D5401005 Bpr, Sse of Apia · 0.01 m
- 3:06 hTuvalu · Fongafale · 0.05 m
- 18:36 hCosta Rica · Quepos · 0.05 m
38 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vanuatu | 4 | 0.78 m Lenakel, Tanna | — | 0:56 h |
 New Zealand | 12 | 0.75 m Korotiti Bay, Great Barrier Island | — | 2:07 h |
 Australia | 8 | 0.48 m Norfolk Island | — | 1:11 h |
| New Caledonia | 7 | 0.29 m Ouinne | — | 0:47 h |
| Wallis and Futuna (French Territory) | 1 | 0.15 m Leava, Futuna Island | — | — |
 Fiji | 2 | 0.05 m Lautoka | — | 1:30 h |
 Tuvalu | 1 | 0.05 m Fongafale | — | 3:06 h |
 Costa Rica | 1 | 0.05 m Quepos | — | 18:36 h |
 Tonga | 2 | 0.04 m Nukualofa (Nuku'alofa) Vuna Wharf | — | 2:10 h |
 Samoa | 2 | 0.03 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 3:03 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 40Individual 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 | 0.78 m | 459 km | Vanuatu |
| Korotiti Bay, Great Barrier Island | 0.75 m | 1,504 km | New Zealand |
| Norfolk Island | 0.48 m | 759 km | Australia |
| Lord Howe I. | 0.40 m | 1,554 km | Australia |
| Jackson Bay | 0.36 m | 2,336 km | New Zealand |
| Gold Coast, Queensland | 0.30 m | 1,903 km | Australia |
| Ouinne | 0.29 m | 520 km | New Caledonia |
| North Cape | 0.22 m | 1,267 km | New Zealand |
| East Cape | 0.20 m | 1,725 km | New Zealand |
| Port Kembla | 0.20 m | 2,377 km | Australia |
| Lifou Island | 0.19 m | 505 km | New Caledonia |
| Leava, Futuna Island | 0.15 m | 1,450 km | Wallis and Futuna (French Territory) |
| Mare Island | 0.13 m | 418 km | New Caledonia |
| Ouvea | 0.13 m | 590 km | New Caledonia |
| Port Napier | 0.11 m | 1,889 km | New Zealand |
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.