Historical tsunamis · Oct 26, 1959, 7:35 AM UTC
1959 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Oct 26, 1959, 7:35 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Oct 26, 1959, 7:35 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.7
- Depth
- 10 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.11 m
- Observation records
- 8
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake at a depth of 10 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.11 m (Ayukawa, 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) · Oct 26, 1959, 7:35 AM UTC
- 0:32 hJapan · Enoshima · 0.02 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 8 | 0.11 m Ayukawa | — | 0:32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.11 m | 174 km | Japan |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 0.05 m | 227 km | Japan |
| Tanaka (Nakaminato) · Ibaraki | 0.05 m | 267 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.04 m | 285 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.04 m | 261 km | Japan |
| Nakaminato · Ibaraki | 0.03 m | 266 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.03 m | 214 km | Japan |
| Enoshima · Miyagi | 0.02 m | 172 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.