Historical tsunamis · Apr 12, 1962, 12:52 AM UTC
1962 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Apr 12, 1962, 12:52 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Apr 12, 1962, 12:52 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.2
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 1.00 m
- Observation records
- 12
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake at a depth of 25 km.
The highest documented water height was 1.00 m.
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) · Apr 12, 1962, 12:52 AM UTC
- 0:29 hJapan · Kamaishi · 0.14 m
9 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 12 | 0.50 m Onagawa (Onagawacho) | — | 0:29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onagawa (Onagawacho) · Miyagi | 0.50 m | 120 km | Japan |
| Ayukawa · Miyagi | 0.28 m | 112 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 0.21 m | 120 km | Japan |
| Onahama · Fukushima | 0.15 m | 206 km | Japan |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 0.14 m | 152 km | Japan |
| Matsukawaura · Fukushima | 0.13 m | 157 km | Japan |
| Somako · Fukushima | 0.13 m | 160 km | Japan |
| Tsukihama · Miyagi | 0.09 m | 126 km | Japan |
| Choshi · Chiba | 0.04 m | 307 km | Japan |
| Minato-Ohashi · Ibaraki | 0.04 m | 272 km | Japan |
| Nakaminato · Ibaraki | 0.04 m | 272 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 0.02 m | 187 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.