2021 Southern Atlantic Ocean tsunami

Key facts

Date

Aug 12, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC

Cause

Earthquake

Magnitude

M8.1

Depth

48 km

Maximum documented water height

0.64 m

Observation records

88

Countries affected

19

Each 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.

1. 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · Aug 12, 2021, 6:35 PM UTC
2. 1:57 hUK Territory · King Edward Is, South Georgia Is · 0.64 m
3. 4:03 hAntarctica · Prat Base (Chile) · 0.11 m
4. 5:20 hChile · Puerto Williams · 0.09 m
5. 5:36 hSouth Africa · Marion Island · 0.49 m
6. 5:44 hArgentina · Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego · 0.08 m
7. 6:26 hBrazil · Imbituba Port, Santa Catarina · 0.20 m
8. 9:20 hFrench Southern and Antarctic Territories · Kerguelen · 0.10 m
9. 10:14 hMauritius · Rodrigues Island, Port Mathurin · 0.25 m
10. 10:17 hGhana · Tema · 0.20 m
11. 10:47 hReunion (French Territory) · Reunion · 0.21 m
12. 11:42 hMadagascar · Toamasina · 0.08 m
13. 13:03 hFrench Polynesia · Rikitea (Gambier), Mangareva Island · 0.06 m
14. 13:45 hNew Zealand · D5401000 Bpr, Ese of Auckland, Nz · 0.01 m
15. 14:05 hCape Verde · Palmeira, Sal, Cape Verde · 0.06 m
16. 14:23 hAustralia · Cocos Island (Keeling) · 0.08 m
17. 15:06 hSpain · Arona, Tenerife, Canary Is · 0.13 m

84 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

Country	Observation records	Maximum documented water height	Deaths	Earliest arrival
South Africa	6	0.64 m Mossel Bay (Mosselbaai)	—	5:36 h
UK Territory	3	0.64 m King Edward Is, South Georgia Is	—	1:57 h
Antarctica	4	0.35 m Syowa Station (Japan)	—	4:03 h
Ghana	2	0.35 m Takoradi	—	10:17 h
Mauritius	2	0.25 m Rodrigues Island, Port Mathurin	—	10:14 h
Reunion (French Territory)	3	0.21 m Reunion	—	10:47 h
United States	30	0.20 m Crescent City, Ca	—	16:58 h
Brazil	2	0.20 m Imbituba Port, Santa Catarina	—	6:26 h
French Polynesia	4	0.19 m Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas Islands	—	13:03 h
Spain	4	0.13 m Arona, Tenerife, Canary Is	—	15:06 h
Australia	3	0.10 m Esperance	—	14:23 h
French Southern and Antarctic Territories	1	0.10 m Kerguelen	—	9:20 h
Azores (Portugal)	1	0.10 m Ponta Delgada	—	16:30 h
Chile	1	0.09 m Puerto Williams	—	5:20 h
Argentina	2	0.08 m Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego	—	5:44 h
Madagascar	1	0.08 m Toamasina	—	11:42 h
Canada	17	0.07 m Ucluelet, British Columbia	—	23:13 h
Cape Verde	1	0.06 m Palmeira, Sal, Cape Verde	—	14:05 h
New Zealand	1	0.01 m D5401000 Bpr, Ese of Auckland, Nz	—	13:45 h

Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.