March 25, 1998 Tsunami: Balleny Islands, Antarctica
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake began at Balleny Islands, Antarctica on March 25, 1998 at 03:12:25 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.08 meters. Its effects were recorded at 4 places in at least 4 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 25, 1998, 03:12:25 UTC
- Source
- Balleny Islands, Antarctica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.1, 10 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.08 m (0.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 62.877° S, 149.527° 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.
1998, March 25. An earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge near the Balleny Islands, at 63oS, 151oE, well south of Tasmania. An earthquake of this size is uncommon for this region, so there was a great deal of uncertainty about the potential for tsunami generation on southern Australian coasts. A tsunami warning was issued for southeast Tasmania, and small tsunamis of the order of 5-10mm were recorded at gauges in southern Australia. (reference #2673)
1998, March 25. 10 cm waves reported in Australia. (reference #1315)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Island | New Zealand | 2,159 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 25, 08:30 | ||
| Spring Bay, Tasmania | Australia | 2,265 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 5,217 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 25, 12:00 | ||
| Rarotonga | Cook Islands | 5,980 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1998The 1900sTsunamis of AntarcticaThe 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 2587.