April 9, 2008 Tsunami: Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia on April 9, 2008 at 12:46:12 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.16 meters. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
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
- April 9, 2008, 12:46:12 UTC
- Source
- Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 35 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.16 m (0.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 20.071° S, 168.892° 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.
An earthquake occurred on Apr 9, 2008 (11:46 PM local time in Loyalty Islands) 85 km SSW of Isangel, Tanna, Vanuatu. (reference #1053). The earthquake generated a tsunami that was recorded in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Vila, Efate Island | Vanuatu | 264 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 9, 13:10 |
More
Every tsunami in 2008The 2000sTsunamis of New CaledoniaThe 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 3505.