1611 Keicho Sanriku earthquake
Encyclopedia
The occurred on December 2, 1611 with an epicenter
off the Sanriku
coast in Iwate Prefecture
. The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1M It triggered a devastating tsunami. A description of this event in an official diary from 1612 is probably the first recorded use of the term 'tsunami'.
-16, 10-month, 28th day), there was a severe earthquake, and at about 14:00 (local time), this was followed by a devastating tsunami
. According to old documents, the earth shook violently three times.
The estimated rupture area for the earthquake is similar to that calculated for the 1933 Sanriku earthquake
.
With this earthquake, the area along the Pacific Ocean
in what is currently called the Sanriku Coast
did shake strongly, but only about 4-5 on the Shindo scale. The damage from the tsunami far exceeded that from the earthquake, so this is considered to be a tsunami earthquake
. Consequently, the disaster caused by earthquake is also known as the "Keicho Sanriku tsunami earthquake". It would have been very similar to the 1605 Keichō Nankaidō earthquake
, a tsunami earthquake in the Nankai Trough
area.
. However, due to the time delay of nearly four hours before the tsunami arrived, there are questions about the exact location of the source.
Professor Kazuomi Hirakawa of Hokkaido University
has found tsunami deposit
s on the southern part of Hokkaido and northern Sanriku from the early part of the 17th century. It is possible that the earthquake and tsunami in Sanriku was an enormous quake that resonated even in the area of the Kurile Trench off the eastern coast of Hokkaido.
.
The tsunami struck on the east coast of Sanriku
from Sendai bay in the south to southeastern Hokkaido
in the north, a greater length of coastline than was affected by the 1896 tsunami
. According to old documents, 1,783 people were killed in the Sendai Domain
, and over 3000 horses and men in the Nanbu and Tsugaru
domains. On the southern coast of Hokkaido, many Ainu
were also drowned ("Hokkaido History"). Amongst the worst affected places was Ōtsuchi
, with 800 deaths.
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
off the Sanriku
Sanriku
is a historical region of Japan on the northeastern side of the island of Honshu, corresponding to today's Aomori, Iwate and parts of Miyagi Prefecture...
coast in Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
. The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1M It triggered a devastating tsunami. A description of this event in an official diary from 1612 is probably the first recorded use of the term 'tsunami'.
Overview
At about 10:30 on December 2, 1611 (KeichoKeicho
was a after Bunroku and before Genna. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1596 : The era name was changed to Keichō to mark the passing of various natural disasters...
-16, 10-month, 28th day), there was a severe earthquake, and at about 14:00 (local time), this was followed by a devastating tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. According to old documents, the earth shook violently three times.
The estimated rupture area for the earthquake is similar to that calculated for the 1933 Sanriku earthquake
1933 Sanriku earthquake
The was a major earthquake whose associated tsunami caused widespread damage to towns on the Sanriku coast of the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan on March 2, 1933.-History:The epicenter of the 1933 Sanriku earthquake was located offshore,...
.
With this earthquake, the area along the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in what is currently called the Sanriku Coast
Sanriku Coast
The is a coastal region on the Pacific Ocean, extending from southern Aomori prefecture, through Iwate prefecture and northern Miyagi prefecture in northeastern Honshū, which is Japan's main island...
did shake strongly, but only about 4-5 on the Shindo scale. The damage from the tsunami far exceeded that from the earthquake, so this is considered to be a tsunami earthquake
Tsunami earthquake
A tsunami earthquake is an earthquake that triggers a tsunami of a magnitude that is very much larger than the magnitude of the earthquake as measured by shorter-period seismic waves. The term was introduced by Hiroo Kanamori in 1972. Such events are a result of relatively slow rupture velocities...
. Consequently, the disaster caused by earthquake is also known as the "Keicho Sanriku tsunami earthquake". It would have been very similar to the 1605 Keichō Nankaidō earthquake
1605 Keichō Nankaidō earthquake
The 1605 Keichō Nankaidō earthquake occurred at about 20:00 local time on 3 February. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.9 on the surface wave magnitude scale and triggered a devastating tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths in the Nankai and Tōkai regions of Japan. It is uncertain whether...
, a tsunami earthquake in the Nankai Trough
Nankai Trough
The Nankai Trough is a submarine trough located south of Japan's island of Honshū, extending approximately 900 km offshore. In plate tectonics, the Nankai Trough marks a subduction zone that is caused by subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath Japan, part of the Eurasian plate...
area.
Source
The source of the earthquake was off the north coast of SanrikuSanriku
is a historical region of Japan on the northeastern side of the island of Honshu, corresponding to today's Aomori, Iwate and parts of Miyagi Prefecture...
. However, due to the time delay of nearly four hours before the tsunami arrived, there are questions about the exact location of the source.
Professor Kazuomi Hirakawa of Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
has found tsunami deposit
Tsunami deposit
A tsunami deposit is a sedimentary unit deposited as the result of of a tsunami. Such deposits may be left onshore during the inundation phase or offshore during the 'backwash' phase. Such deposits are being used to identify past tsunami events and thereby better constrain estimates of both...
s on the southern part of Hokkaido and northern Sanriku from the early part of the 17th century. It is possible that the earthquake and tsunami in Sanriku was an enormous quake that resonated even in the area of the Kurile Trench off the eastern coast of Hokkaido.
Damage
The tsunami reached its maximum estimated height of about 20 meters at Ōfunato, IwateOfunato, Iwate
is a coastal city located in Iwate, Japan.It was founded on April 1, 1952.On November 15, 2001, the town of Sanriku, from Kesen District, was merged into Ōfunato....
.
The tsunami struck on the east coast of Sanriku
Sanriku
is a historical region of Japan on the northeastern side of the island of Honshu, corresponding to today's Aomori, Iwate and parts of Miyagi Prefecture...
from Sendai bay in the south to southeastern Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
in the north, a greater length of coastline than was affected by the 1896 tsunami
1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake
The 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake was highly destructive, generating one of the most devastating tsunamis in Japanese history, destroying about 9,000 homes and causing at least 22,000 deaths. This magnitude 7.2 event occurred at 19:32 on June 15, 1896...
. According to old documents, 1,783 people were killed in the Sendai Domain
Sendai Domain
was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. Most of its holdings were contiguous, covering all of modern-day Miyagi Prefecture, small portions of southern Iwate Prefecture, and a portion of northeastern Fukushima Prefecture. The domain's capital, and the ruling family's castle, were located in what...
, and over 3000 horses and men in the Nanbu and Tsugaru
Hirosaki Domain
The ' was a Japanese domain of the Edo period, located in northern Mutsu Province . It was ruled by the Tsugaru clan...
domains. On the southern coast of Hokkaido, many Ainu
Ainu
Ainu or Aynu may refer to:*Ainu people, of Japan and the Russian Far East**Ainu language**Ainu music**Ainu cuisine*Ainu , a primordial spirit in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings*Äynu people, of Western China...
were also drowned ("Hokkaido History"). Amongst the worst affected places was Ōtsuchi
Otsuchi, Iwate
is a town located in Kamihei District, Iwate, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 16,727 and a density of 83.39 persons per km². The total area is 200.58 km²....
, with 800 deaths.