416 Tsunami: Java-S. Java, Indonesia
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Java-S. Java, Indonesia in 416. Its effects were recorded at 4 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
- 416
- Source
- Java-S. Java, Indonesia
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 3.5
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 6.102° S, 105.423° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #414:
416. Validity 2. In 338 (that is, 416), a thunderous roar was heard from the bowels of mount Batuwara (also called Pulosari, an extinct volcano in the Banten region, the closes to the Sunda strait). This roar was answered by an identical roar from the bowewls of Mount Kapi, which is situated west of the modern [region?] of Banten. An enormous blinding flames, which reached the heavens, exploded from Kapi Mountain. The whole world shook. Thunder pealed out, a storm burst, and it began to rain. However, the eruption of flame from Mount Kapi not only did not diminish with the rain, but even increased. Mount Kapi exploded into pieces with a terrific noise and descended into the depths of the earth.
A sea wave arose and inundated the land. The locality from Batuwara Mountain east to Gede Mountain (Kamula) and west to Radjabasa Mountain [the most southern volcano on Sumatra Island, situated in the vicinty of Lampung] was inundated by the sea. The residents of the northern part of Sunda district, as far as Mount Radjabasa were drowned and washed away together with all their belongings.
After the water receded, Mount Kapi and its locality were left on the sea bottom, while Java Island split into two parts. Thus the islands of Sumatra and Java were separated.
[The events are very similar to the famous eruption of Krakatau in 1883. It is possible that Mount Kapi is in fact the Krakatau Volcano.]
Reference #40:
416. Indonesia. Java and Sumatra. Selat Sunda (Sunda Strait, 06 deg 00' S., 105 deg 45' E.). Large destructive waves accompanied a volcanic eruption.
Reference #79:
416. Sundu Island epicenter, Sunda Strait or Java Sea source area, tsunami observation Java and Sumatra, tsunami magnitude "2??". (reference #79)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rajabasa, Sumatra I. | Indonesia | 39 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Batuwara Mountain, Java | Indonesia | 63 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Gede Mountain, Java | Indonesia | 170 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Poompuhar | India | 3,506 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 416The 400sTsunamis of IndonesiaThe eruptionAlerts 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 39.