Tsunamis in Australia
A tsunami is a series of long waves (typically hundreds of kilometres in length) caused by large-scale ocean disturbances, such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions or meteorites.

Deployment of a deep-ocean tsunami detection buoy
Tsunamis are recorded in Australia about once every 2 years. Major land flood (inundation) is rare, but even relatively small tsunamis can be dangerous to swimmers and boaters.
Australia has an advanced early warning system to warn of tsunami threats to Australian coastal communities. Timely warnings are provided by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC), which we operate 24/7 with Geoscience Australia.
The JATWC also plays an important international role as regional Tsunami Service Provider for the Indian Ocean.
In this section, explore:
- what a tsunami is
- how we issue tsunami watches and warnings
- the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre
- how deep-ocean buoys detect tsunamis.
For assistance during a tsunami, contact your state or territory's emergency services – view our Emergency contacts page.