Journal article
An Overview of Tsunami Hazards in the Southwest Pacific Ocean
New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Vol.69(2), pp.1-28
2026
Abstract
The southwest Pacific region is geologically complex and exhibits all the principal causes of tsunami generation. While contemporary events and historical catalogs indicate that trans‐Pacific tsunamis have affected this area (∼18% of tsunamis reported globally), it is unique in that a large part of the tsunami effects over the ∼200‐year historical record were triggered locally and regionally. Furthermore, tsunamis in this region are caused by a wide range of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, or, more generally, a combination of mechanisms. Due to the complex nature of tsunami generation and the generally short amount of time to tsunami onset, mitigating tsunami hazards and informing vulnerable populations are particularly challenging. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the tsunami hazards in the southwest Pacific related to its complex tectonic and geomorphic setting through examples of significant historical events that exhibit different generation mechanisms, such as the deadly 2009 Samoa‐Tonga event and the recent tsunami caused by the 2022 Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha‘apai eruption. We also discuss data and knowledge gaps, including seafloor mapping, palaeotsunami studies, population distribution, and hazard and risk culture, underlining the urgent need to better understand tsunami phenomena, assess the associated risk, and prepare coastal populations for this hazard.
Details
- Title
- An Overview of Tsunami Hazards in the Southwest Pacific Ocean
- Authors
- Jean H. M. Roger (Corresponding Author) - Earth Sciences New ZealandBruce E. O. Thomas - University of StuttgartJose Borrero - University of Southern CaliforniaBrook Tozer - Earth Sciences New ZealandJulien Collot - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueSamuel Etienne - Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la MarineCatherine Chagué - Earth Sciences New ZealandPatrick D. Nunn - University of the Sunshine CoastEmily M. Lane - Earth Sciences New ZealandShaun Williams - Earth Sciences New ZealandDavid Burbidge - Earth Sciences New ZealandHannah E. Power - University of Newcastle AustraliaWilliam Power - Earth Sciences New ZealandBernard Pelletier - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
- Publication details
- New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Vol.69(2), pp.1-28
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1002/jgo2.70051
- ISSN
- 1175-8791
- Copyright note
- © 2026 The Author(s). New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
- Data Availability
- All data used in the paper is publicly available (see references herein).
- Grant note
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Grant Numbers: C05X1702, CARH2502, CARH2505
- Organisation Unit
- Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research; School of Law and Society; Sustainability Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991225023902621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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