Historical tsunamis · Jan 16, 1961, 7:20 AM UTC
1961 Kashima, Japan tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Jan 16, 1961, 7:20 AM UTC originated near Kashima, Japan (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Jan 16, 1961, 7:20 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M6.8
- Depth
- 40 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 0.40 m
- Observation records
- 5
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake at a depth of 40 km.
The highest documented water height was 0.40 m.
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) · Jan 16, 1961, 7:20 AM UTC
- 0:30 hJapan · Nakaminato · 0.10 m
4 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 5 | 0.21 m Onahama | — | 0:30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.21 m | 163 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.20 m | 265 km | Japan |
| Nakaminato · Ibaraki | 0.10 m | 158 km | Japan |
| Minato-Ohashi · Ibaraki | 0.07 m | 159 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.04 m | 132 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.