March 4, 2021 Tsunami: Gisborne, New Zealand
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake began at Gisborne, New Zealand on March 4, 2021 at 13:27:36 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.28 meters. Its effects were recorded at 9 places.
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 4, 2021, 13:27:36 UTC
- Source
- Gisborne, New Zealand
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.3, 20 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.28 m (0.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 9
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 37.563° S, 179.444° 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D5401000 Bpr, Ese of Auckland, Nz | New Zealand | 97 | 0.06 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 13:34 | ||
| Lottin Point | New Zealand | 114 | 0.28 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tauranga | New Zealand | 288 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 14:40 | ||
| D5401001 Bpr, Ene of Auckland, Nz | New Zealand | 305 | 0.01 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 13:45 | ||
| D5501003 Bpr, NE of Wellington, Nz | New Zealand | 339 | 0.02 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 13:58 | ||
| Korotiti Bay, Great Barrier Island | New Zealand | 384 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 14:40 | ||
| D5501002 Bpr, Ese of Wellington, Nz | New Zealand | 576 | 0 | Deep ocean gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 14:29 | ||
| Raoul Island, Boat Cove | New Zealand | 951 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 15:14 | ||
| Raoul Island, Fishing Rock | New Zealand | 954 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 4, 15:40 |
More
Every tsunami in 2021The 2000sTsunamis of New ZealandThe 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 5769.