November 17, 2013 Tsunami: Scotia Sea, Antarctica
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake began at Scotia Sea, Antarctica on November 17, 2013 at 09:04:55 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.15 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 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
- November 17, 2013, 09:04:55 UTC
- Source
- Scotia Sea, Antarctica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.7, 10 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.15 m (0.5 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 60.274° S, 46.401° W
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.
A tsunami was recorded with wave heights in centimeters (above sea level) of 15 at King Edward Point, South Georgia Island and 4.8 at Prat Base, Greenwich Island. (reference #13456)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prat Base (Chile) | Antarctica | 749 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| King Edward Is, South Georgia Is | UK Territories | 894 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 17, 11:34 |
More
Every tsunami in 2013The 2000sTsunamis 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 5534.