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Tsunamis in Papua New Guinea

A total of 35 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1857 have killed 2,261 people 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. On 07/17/1998, this tsunami killed a total of 2,205 people.

Other natural hazards in Papua New Guinea:
Volcanoes
Earthquakes
Cyclones
The most severe tsunamis in the world


Back to overview: Papua New Guinea

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


The largest tsunamis in Papua New Guinea since 1857

DateCauseMax. tidal waveFatalitiesTotal damage
02/09/2018Volcano in Papua New Guinea (Kadovar Island, Papua New Guinea)1 m0
05/05/2015Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (New Britain) with a magnitude of 7.5.1 m0
03/11/2011Earthquakes 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
04/01/2007Earthquakes 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
09/08/2002Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 7.6.5.5 m0
11/16/2000Earthquakes 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
10/16/1987Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.4.0 m0
02/08/1987Earthquakes 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
07/20/1975Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9.2 m0
02/01/1974Earthquakes 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
07/26/1971Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (Solomon Sea) with a magnitude of 7.9.10 m0
07/14/1971Earthquakes 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
05/22/1960Earthquakes 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
06/23/1957Earthquakes 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
11/04/1952Earthquakes 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
04/30/1939Earthquakes on the Solomon Islands (Solomon Islands) with a magnitude of 7.9.1.5 m0
05/13/1938Earthquakes 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
12/23/1930Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (Bismarck Sea) with a magnitude of 6.5.12 m27
01/15/1899Earthquakes in Papua New Guinea (East Coast, New Ireland) The tsunami also reached Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tuvalu.0 m0
03/06/1895Earthquakes 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
01/01/1873Earthquakes 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 evaluations are based on data from the Global Historical Tsunami Database of the National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, and World Data Service (NGDC/WDS), doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Individual data have been summarized or translated.
Papua New Guinea: EarthquakeRecent earthquakes and their magnitudes in Papua New GuineaEarthquakes and their intensities in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: VolcanoesActive volcanoes and eruptions in Papua New GuineaVolcanic eruptions and their damages by 14 volcanoes of Papua New Guinea
United States of America: VolcanoesActive volcanoes and eruptions in the United StatesVolcanic eruptions and their damages by 17 volcanoes of United States of America