On March 2, 1933 CE, a major tsunami struck the Sanriku region of Japan. According to the NOAA/NCEI Global Historical Tsunami Database, the event was generated by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.4. The tsunami produced a recorded maximum water height of 29.0 meters and caused 3,022 deaths.
Event Chronology and Location
The earthquake and resulting tsunami occurred on March 2, 1933 CE, at 17 hours, 31 minutes, and 0 seconds UTC. The event took place off the coast of Japan in the Sanriku area, centered at coordinates 39.209 latitude and 144.59 longitude. In the NOAA database, the event is assigned a validity rating of 4, indicating a definite tsunami occurrence.
Impact and Measurements
Official records document severe impacts from the March 2, 1933 CE event:
- Cause: Earthquake-associated tsunami (cause code 1) with an earthquake magnitude of 8.4.
- Maximum Water Height: 29.0 meters.
- Fatalities: 3,022 deaths.
- Location: Sanriku, Japan.
Frequently asked questions
When did the 1933 Sanriku tsunami happen?
The Sanriku tsunami occurred on March 2, 1933 CE.
What caused the 1933 Sanriku tsunami?
The tsunami was associated with an earthquake of magnitude 8.4.
How high was the maximum water height recorded during the event?
The recorded maximum water height reached 29.0 meters.
How many fatalities were recorded in the 1933 Sanriku tsunami?
The NOAA/NCEI database records 3,022 deaths resulting from the event.
Sources and further context
Official datasets support the event-specific facts.