Tsunamis in Papua New Guinea

In a total of 35 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1857 a total of 2,261 people died in Papua New Guinea. Tsunamis therefore occur comparatively often in this country.

The strongest tidal wave registered in Papua New Guinea so far reached a height of 15.03 meters. At this Tsunami on 07/17/1998 a total of 2,205 people have been killed.



Other natural hazards in Papua New Guinea:
› Volcanos
› Earthquake
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Back to overview: Papua New Guinea

The marked positions on the map represent the most effected regions within the past 170 years.

Tsunamis are caused by earthquakes or other seismic eruptions on ground of an oceans and can cause massive tidal waves, which run with enormous force on land, causing great devastation. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage.

The largest tsunamis in Papua New Guinea since 1857

DateCausemax wave heightDeathsTotal damage
02/09/2018Volcano in Papua New Guinea (Kadovar Island, Papua New Guinea)1 m0
05/05/2015Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (New Britain) with a magnitude of 7.5.1 m0
03/11/2011Earthquake in Japan (Honshu Island) with a magnitude of 9.1. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 18,431 humans died.1.1 m0
04/01/2007Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 8.1. The tsunami also reached Solomon Islands, New Caledonia. A total of 50 humans died.3.5 m0
09/08/2002Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 7.6.5.5 m0
11/16/2000Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 8.0.3 m0
07/17/1998Earthquake, landslide in Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) with a magnitude of 7.0.15.03 m2,205
09/19/1994Volcano in Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea)3 m0
10/16/1987Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.4.0 m0
02/08/1987Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.4.1.5 m0
07/03/1985Earthquake, landslide in Papua New Guinea (New Ireland) with a magnitude of 7.3.1.3 m0
07/20/1975Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9.2 m0
02/01/1974Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.1.1 m0
08/26/1972Landslide in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea)1.5 m0
07/26/1971Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9.10 m0
07/14/1971Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9.6 m1
10/31/1970Earthquake, landslide in Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) with a magnitude of 7.3.3 m1
05/22/1960Earthquake in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 9.5. The tsunami caused damages in 13 further countries. A total of 2,226 humans died.1.8 m0
06/23/1957Earthquake in Indonesia (Nw. Irian Jaya) with a magnitude of 7.3.1.8 m0
06/27/1953Volcano in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea)0 m0
11/04/1952Earthquake in Russia (Kamchatka) with a magnitude of 9.0. The tsunami caused damages in 11 further countries. A total of 10,000 humans died.2.4 m0
04/30/1939Earthquake on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.9.1.5 m0
05/13/1938Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.5.0 m0
05/29/1937Volcano in Papua New Guinea (Rabaul)2.5 m0
12/23/1930Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 6.5.12 m27
01/15/1899Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (East Coast, New Ireland) The tsunami also reached Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu.0 m0
03/06/1895Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.3.6 m27
03/13/1888Volcano, landslide in Papua New Guinea (Ritter Island)15 m0
01/01/1873Earthquake in Papua New Guinea (Maclay Coast) with a magnitude of 8.0.0 m0
04/17/1857Earthquake, landslide in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 8.0.0 m0


These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Global Historical Tsunami Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Several data have been summarized and translated.