December 23, 2004 Tsunami: Macquarie Island, Australia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake began at Macquarie Island, Australia on December 23, 2004 at 14:59:04 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.3 meters. Its effects were recorded at 5 places in at least 3 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
- December 23, 2004, 14:59:04 UTC
- Source
- Macquarie Island, Australia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 8.1, 10 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 49.312° S, 161.345° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
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 | 604 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 23, 18:23 | ||
| Jackson Bay | New Zealand | 813 | 0.12 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 23, 16:30 | ||
| Spring Bay, Tasmania | Australia | 1,281 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Port Kembla | Australia | 1,858 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 3,556 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2004The 2000sTsunamis of AustraliaThe 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 3014.