New Zealand Tsunami Database: Historical and Modern Records

Database

This database contains information about tsunamis that have reached the coastline of New Zealand since humans arrived in this land until the present day. The data come from tide gauges, newspaper articles, harbour masters, records from ships, personal diary entries and Māori oral records.

Overview

The database is the work of historical seismologist Gaye Downes of GNS Science who collected reports of tsunamis around New Zealand and, in many cases, carried out research to determine parameters of the source, travel time and impact associated with each event.

Primary source material is summarised in the database and complete transcriptions are held by the database custodian.

The purpose of creating a publicly available tsunami database is to increase awareness of New Zealand's tsunami hazard, provide evidence to inform coastal planning, enable calibration of tsunami modelling, hazard estimates and forecasting, and promote further research.

Source location, triggering event type and year of tsunamis that have affected New Zealand between 1835 and 2020. Image: Jean Roger

New Zealand lies in the path of tsunamis generated from around the Pacific Rim as well as from sources closer to home associated with the active Pacific-Australian Plate Boundary. In addition, this country has a long length of coastline in comparison to its land area and much of the population live near the coast. Therefore, learning about our tsunami hazard and how to mitigate risk is a high priority.

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  • Terms of Use

    The New Zealand Tsunami Database is not intended to be complete - the comparatively short period of human occupation, very short period of written records (<200 years), and sparse population impedes any such attempt. The database is subject to change as new information arises about old events and new interpretations are developed. Modern tsunamis will also be added to the database. GNS Science has made every reasonable effort to ensure the information provided here is correct. However, GNS Science makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy or completeness and shall not be liable for any injury or death, or for damages of any kind arising out of access to, or use of the information, or any errors, omissions, misprints, or out-of-date information.

Cite as: Downes, G., A. Barberopoulou, U. Cochran, K. Clark, and F. Scheele (2017), The New Zealand Tsunami Database: Historical and Modern Records. Seismological Research Letters, 88 (2), 342-353, doi: 10.1785/0220160135.

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