Historical tsunamis · Nov 6, 1938, 9:38 PM UTC
1938 Off Fukushima Prefecture tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 6, 1938, 9:38 PM UTC originated near Off Fukushima Prefecture (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 6, 1938, 9:38 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.1
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.25 m
- Observation records
- 11
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.25 m.
11 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
11Each 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) · Nov 6, 1938, 9:38 PM UTC
- 0:24 hJapan · Onahama · 0.25 m
10 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 11 | 0.62 m Ayukawa | — | 0:24 h |
Highest documented water heights
11 / 11Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.62 m | 145 km | Japan |
| Hanabuchi · Miyagi | 0.59 m | 152 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.25 m | 72 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.18 m | 161 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.17 m | 392 km | Japan |
| Kesennumagyoko · Miyagi | 0.13 m | 211 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.08 m | 158 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.07 m | 175 km | Japan |
| Shiogama · Miyagi | 0.05 m | 159 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.03 m | 162 km | Japan |
| Oshima (Shiogamako) · Miyagi | 0.03 m | 157 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.