On July 17, 1998, a destructive tsunami struck Papua New Guinea, leaving a significant impact recorded in the global historical tsunami database. The event was triggered by an earthquake and generated powerful waves that resulted in widespread casualties and severe coastal measurements.
Event Timing and Earthquake Parameters
According to the official historical record, the event occurred on July 17, 1998, at 08:49:16.1 UTC. The associated earthquake was measured at a magnitude of 7.0. The epicenter was located at latitude -2.943 and longitude 142.582 in Papua New Guinea.
Impact and Measurements
The tsunami caused major human impacts and extreme physical measurements along the affected coast:
- Deaths: 1,636 fatalities
- Injuries: 1,000 recorded injuries
- Maximum Water Height: 15.03 meters
- Validity Code: 4 (denoting a definite tsunami occurrence)
The recorded maximum water height of 15.03 meters represents the highest measured runup or wave height documented for this specific event rather than a uniform height across the entire coastline.
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.