January 23, 2021 Tsunami: Scotia Sea, Antarctica
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake began at Scotia Sea, Antarctica on January 23, 2021 at 23:36:50 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.04 meters. Its effects were recorded at 2 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
- January 23, 2021, 23:36:50 UTC
- Source
- Scotia Sea, Antarctica
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.9, 10 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.04 m (0.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 61.825° S, 55.494° W
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Higgins Base (Chile), Palmer Pen. | Antarctica | 208 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Prat Base (Chile) | Antarctica | 229 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2021The 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 5762.