Historical tsunamis · Nov 13, 1938, 10:31 PM UTC
1938 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 13, 1938, 10:31 PM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 13, 1938, 10:31 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.0
- Depth
- 60 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.75 m
- Observation records
- 7
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake at a depth of 60 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.75 m.
7 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
7Each 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 13, 1938, 10:31 PM UTC
- 0:27 hJapan · Onahama · 0.36 m
7 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 7 | 0.36 m Onahama | — | 0:27 h |
Highest documented water heights
7 / 7Individual 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 | 0.36 m | 54 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.21 m | 159 km | Japan |
| Kesennumagyoko · Miyagi | 0.11 m | 211 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.07 m | 174 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.06 m | 150 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.03 m | 159 km | Japan |
| Oshima (Shiogamako) · Miyagi | 0.03 m | 151 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.