March 18, 1983 Tsunami: New Britain, Papua New Guinea
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake began at New Britain, Papua New Guinea on March 18, 1983 at 09:05:50 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.13 meters. Its effects were recorded at 4 places in at least 2 countries.
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
- March 18, 1983, 09:05:50 UTC
- Source
- New Britain, Papua New Guinea
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.9, 89 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.13 m (0.4 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -1.7
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 4.883° S, 153.581° E
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
A magnitude 7.9 (USGS) earthquake at 9:05 UT caused damage (MMI VII) along the SE coast of New Ireland. A pier collapsed at Muliana on the East coast. Landslides and cracks occurred, trees were uprooted and steam was ejected from fumaroles in the Feni Islands. The Rabaul area reported minor landslides and slight damage.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SE. Coast of New Ireland | Papua New Guinea | 68 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Feni Islands | Papua New Guinea | 99 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Rabaul, New Britain | Papua New Guinea | 172 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Apra Harbor, Guam, GU doubtful | US Territories | 2,253 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1983The 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 2141.