1933 Sanriku earthquake

1933 Sanriku earthquake

UTC time	??
Magnitude	8.4 Mw
Epicenter	39°7.7′N 144°7′E
Areas affected	Japan United States
Tsunami	Yes
Casualties	3000+ dead

Kamaishi Bay, Iwate after 1933 earthquake and tsunami

The 1933 Sanriku earthquake (昭和三陸地震, Shōwa Sanriku Jishin) was a major earthquake whose associated tsunami caused widespread damage to towns on the Sanriku coast of the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan in 1933.

History

The epicenter of the 1933 Sanriku earthquake was located offshore, 290 kilometres (180 mi) east of the city of Kamaishi, Iwate. The initial shock occurred on at 0230 AM on March 2, 1933. The earthquake measured 8.4 on the moment magnitude scale and was in approximately the same location as the 1896 Sanriku earthquake. The epicenter occurred far enough away from the town that the earthquake itself did little damage to buildings. Approximately three hours after the main shock was a magnitude 6.8 aftershock, followed by 76 more aftershocks (with a magnitude of 5.0 or greater) over a period of six months.

Damage

Although the earthquake did little damage, the associated tsunami, which was recorded to reach the height of 28.7 metres (94 ft) at Ōfunato, Iwate, caused extensive damage, destroyed many homes and caused numerous casualties The tsunami destroyed over 7,000 homes along the northern Japanese coastline, of which over 4,885 were washed away. The tsunami was also recorded in Hawaii with a height of 9.5 feet (2.9 m), and which also resulted in slight damage. The death toll came to 1522 people confirmed dead, 1542 missing, and 12,053 injured. Hardest high was the town of Tarō, Iwate (now part of Miyako city, with 98% of its houses destroyed and 42% of its population killed.

See also

Seismology of the Sanriku coast

References

• Clancey, Gregory. (2006). Earthquake Nation: The Cultural Politics of Japanese Seismicity. Berkeley: University of California Press. 10-ISBN 0-520-24607-1; 13-ISBN 978-0-520-24607-2 (cloth)