Historical tsunamis · Nov 22, 1938, 1:14 AM UTC
1938 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 22, 1938, 1:14 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 22, 1938, 1:14 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.9
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 4
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m.
4 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
4Each 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 22, 1938, 1:14 AM UTC
- 0:23 hJapan · Oshima (Shiogamako) · 0.02 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 4 | 0.14 m Onahama | — | 0:23 h |
Highest documented water heights
4 / 4Individual 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 | 0.14 m | 110 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.08 m | 201 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.03 m | 153 km | Japan |
| Oshima (Shiogamako) · Miyagi | 0.02 m | 202 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.