Historical tsunamis · Nov 30, 1938, 2:29 AM UTC
1938 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Nov 30, 1938, 2:29 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Nov 30, 1938, 2:29 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.0
- Depth
- 50 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.20 m
- Observation records
- 9
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake at a depth of 50 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.20 m.
9 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
9Each 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 30, 1938, 2:29 AM UTC
- 0:30 hJapan · Onagawa · 0.09 m
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 9 | 0.10 m Hachinohe | — | 0:30 h |
Highest documented water heights
9 / 9Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.10 m | 396 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.09 m | 172 km | Japan |
| Hakodateko · Hokkaido | 0.08 m | 546 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.08 m | 116 km | Japan |
| Kesennumagyoko · Miyagi | 0.06 m | 217 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.06 m | 186 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 539 km | Japan |
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 0.05 m | 178 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | — | 183 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.