Historical tsunamis · Nov 4, 1953, 3:49 AM UTC
1953 Coral Sea tsunami
Vanuatu
The tsunami of Nov 4, 1953, 3:49 AM UTC originated near Coral Sea (Vanuatu).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 4, 1953, 3:49 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.5
- Depth
- 35 km
- Maximum documented water height
- —
- Observation records
- 1
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake at a depth of 35 km.
1 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor (Australia) after 26:00 h.
Map of observation sites
1Each 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) · Nov 4, 1953, 3:49 AM UTC
- 26:00 hAustralia · Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor
1 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 1 | — | — | 26:00 h |
Highest documented water heights
1 / 1Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Denison, Sydney Harbor | — | 2,762 km | Australia |
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.