November 2, 1923 Tsunami: Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea on November 2, 1923 at 21:08:11 UTC. Its effects were recorded at 2 places.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- 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
- November 2, 1923, 21:08:11 UTC
- Source
- Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 145 km deep
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 4.653° S, 154.232° 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.
1923, November 3, 07:18 [local time]. After the first shock, water in Blanche Bay and Simpson Harbour (Rabaul), which was at about high tide, receded rapidly to about low water mark, returning within about 15 minutes; repeating the process within half an hour. (reference #99)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabaul (Blanche Bay), New Britain | Papua New Guinea | 233 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Simpson Harbour, New Britain | Papua New Guinea | 234 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1923The 1900sTsunamis of Papua New GuineaThe 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 1528.