February 23, 1885 Tsunami: Cape Barren Island, Australia
A tsunami probably caused by an earthquake began at Cape Barren Island, Australia on February 23, 1885 at 06:26 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.9 meters.
Where the waves reached
The source of the tsunami. No runup with a place is recorded for it.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
Travel times
How long the first wave took to reach each part of the ocean, one line for each hour up to 24, estimated from the source and the depth of the sea.
The travel times are computed in your browser, which needs JavaScript.
- 1 to 4 hours
- 5 to 6 hours
- 7 to 14 hours
- 15 hours and more
Computed in your browser the way NOAA’s own travel time maps are: the wave travels at the square root of gravity times the depth, over NOAA’s ETOPO1 depths averaged to a 10 arc-minute grid. Checked against NOAA NCEI’s maps for 21 tsunamis over the first 24 hours, these lines fall within 10 minutes of NCEI’s at half the points compared and within 52 minutes at 9 in 10. They give when the first wave could arrive, not how high it is; bays, harbors and island chains finer than the grid can see it later. Not for use in a warning: see tsunami.gov.
The tsunami
- Date
- February 23, 1885, 06:26 UTC
- Source
- Cape Barren Island, Australia
- Cause
- Questionable earthquake
- Maximum water height
- 0.9 m (3.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 40.450° S, 148.180° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
The western sky was densley black with coulds, which approached with a cyclonic movement. A noiseless earth tremor was distinctly felt by many at about 4:15p,. Flashes of lightning were seen, followed by thunder, and a strong wind with heavy rain. Long Island Passage soon became feather white with the crests formed by the driving wind, and connected with all this a sort of tidal wave, or, as it is here called, a “drawback” was experienced. A wave about three feet in height ran up some thirty yards upon the beach, and then quickly retreated. Twice again at later periods in the evening, though less in heights and force, did this wave return, and its effects were distinctly felt aboard. An event of this nature, only on a considerably larger scale, was described to me by Mr. Maynard as having taken place about two years ago. At that time, however, the wave (though the day was calm, and the sea like glass) approached with great violence and a roaring sound, and completed the circuit of the bay three times in quick succession. (reference #14292)
More
Every tsunami in 1885The 1800sTsunamis of AustraliaThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 6135.