Historical tsunamis · May 27, 1928, 9:50 AM UTC
1928 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of May 27, 1928, 9:50 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- May 27, 1928, 9:50 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.0
- Depth
- 40 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.45 m
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at a depth of 40 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.45 m (Onahama, Japan).
8 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
8Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin) · May 27, 1928, 9:50 AM UTC
- 0:24 hJapan · Miyako
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 8 | 0.45 m Onahama | — | 0:24 h |
Highest documented water heights
8 / 8Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.45 m | 395 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.13 m | 242 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.10 m | 154 km | Japan |
| Hanabuchi · Miyagi | 0.09 m | 268 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.06 m | 219 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.01 m | 514 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | — | 239 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | — | 111 km | Japan |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.