October 1883 Tsunami: Vanuatu Islands

Reference #13893:

After 3 October 1883 (south-west Malekula). Following an earthquake, three tidal waves swept the southwestern coast of Malekula from the west. The amplitude of the tsunami was about 2m (14 feet from trough to crest; Wawn, 1893, in Louat and Baldassari, 1989). The eyewitness, William T. Wawn, who was on board a ship anchored in the channel between Ura Islet and the south-western coast of Malekula, described the scene reported below,

"At either side, on the shallow reefs, and high over the low bushes and smaller trees that lined the shore, a huge wave was breaking, sweeping steadily along the coast from westward, until it disappeared beyond a long, low point of land. It was the swell of this wave, unbroken in the deeper water, which had caught the ship aft, and had slewed her round to her anchor. On the islet we could hear the yells and cries of the natives, as they fled from an adjacent village, making for higher ground. On the main island, cloud of dust could be seen for miles away, showing where landslips has occurred on the side of the steep hills and mountains. For miles the whole surface of the earth had subsided, sinking eight feet or so, which had caused the great wave to rush into the deepened channel. Then, slowly and gradually, came an upheaval. The water poured out from the flooded forest, bearing with them portions of the huts of the savages, canoes, trees and branches, and even two or three squeaking pigs, cascading over the face of the flat shore reefs. These now rose as high above their normal position as they had before sunk below it, forming flat terraces along the coasts, which were elevated to six feet above the surface of the sea. Masses of “Live” coral showed along the face of the raised shore-reefs, displaying brilliant hues, blue, green, yellow, purple, and red, all shining and glistening in the sun. This was the first act. A pause of a minute followed. Then, gradually and majestically, the upraised coral sank again, and the bright colour disappeared. Then came another subsidence, and a second vast billow rolled in from westward, making our chain rip and tear at the bows as if it meant to pull the windlass out of the ship. Breaking into clouds of foam, the wave ran roaring along the shores, while every here and there some huge tree came toppling over, with torn root or broken trunk. The second upheaval was not equal to the first; the reefs did not rise more than about three feet above the water. Though a third wave rolled in, it was only a “piccaninny” (small) when compared with those that had preceded it. When the earthquake was over, I could perceive no difference in the height of the shore, from the level of the sea. The only effect remaining visible were the branches and broken trees floating about, or lying strewn along the beaches, with here and there, a bare yellow brown patch on the side of the hill."