Historical tsunamis · Aug 22, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC
2025 Drake Passage tsunami
Antarctica
The tsunami of Aug 22, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC originated near Drake Passage (Antarctica).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 22, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.17 m
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.17 m (Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, UK Territory).
5 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at King Edward Is, South Georgia Is (UK Territory) after 3:51 h.
Map of observation sites
5Each 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 22, 2025, 2:16 AM UTC
- 1:19 hAntarctica · O'higgins Base (Chile), Palmer Pen. · 0.05 m
- 3:51 hUK Territory · King Edward Is, South Georgia Is · 0.06 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Territory | 2 | 0.17 m Port Stanley, Falkland Islands | — | 3:51 h |
| Antarctica | 3 | 0.08 m Prat Base (Chile) | — | 1:19 h |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Stanley, Falkland Islands | 0.17 m | 970 km | UK Territory |
| Prat Base (Chile) | 0.08 m | 280 km | Antarctica |
| King Edward Is, South Georgia Is | 0.06 m | 1,651 km | UK Territory |
| O'higgins Base (Chile), Palmer Pen. | 0.05 m | 406 km | Antarctica |
| Vernadsky Faraday, Argentine Isl | — | 578 km | Antarctica |
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.