August 8, 1904 Tsunami: Cape Turnagain, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake began at Cape Turnagain, New Zealand on August 8, 1904 at 22:50:00 UTC. The water rose as high as 3 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
The tsunami
- Date
- August 8, 1904, 22:50:00 UTC
- Source
- Cape Turnagain, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.2, 33 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 40.400° S, 176.400° 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.
Reference #5324:
1904, August 8, 22:50, Mw between 7.0 and 7.2, 16-40 km depth.
A large wave observed from beach. Association with earthquake uncertain. Tsunami validity uncertain but possible association with landslides at Cape Kidnappers caused by earthquake.
Surges reported in the Wanganui River. Seiching in association with passage of earthquake waves, not tsunami.
More
Every tsunami in 1904The 1900sTsunamis of New ZealandThe earthquakeThis 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 1317.