Historical tsunamis · Mar 23, 1960, 12:23 AM UTC
1960 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Mar 23, 1960, 12:23 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 23, 1960, 12:23 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.7
- Depth
- 20 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.75 m
- Observation records
- 12
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake at a depth of 20 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.75 m (Taro, Japan).
12 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
12Each 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) · Mar 23, 1960, 12:23 AM UTC
- 0:28 hJapan · Miyako · 0.08 m
8 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 12 | 0.75 m Taro | — | 0:28 h |
Highest documented water heights
12 / 12Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taro · Iwate | 0.75 m | 152 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.15 m | 227 km | Japan |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 0.10 m | 157 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.09 m | 368 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 0.08 m | 224 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.08 m | 150 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.06 m | 360 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 458 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.05 m | 223 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 0.05 m | 317 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | 0.04 m | 401 km | Japan |
| Enoshima · Miyagi | 0.02 m | 213 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.