Historical tsunamis · Jul 29, 1960, 5:31 PM UTC
1960 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Jul 29, 1960, 5:31 PM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Jul 29, 1960, 5:31 PM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.7
- Depth
- 30 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.30 m
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake at a depth of 30 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.30 m (Ayukawa, Japan).
5 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Map of observation sites
5Each 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) · Jul 29, 1960, 5:31 PM UTC
- 0:22 hJapan · Kuji · 0.09 m
3 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 5 | 0.30 m Ayukawa | — | 0:22 h |
Highest documented water heights
5 / 5Individual 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 | 0.30 m | 238 km | Japan |
| Kuji · Iwate | 0.09 m | 63 km | Japan |
| Kujiko · Iwate | 0.09 m | 59 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.06 m | 217 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.05 m | 85 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.