Survey of 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami inundation and run-up

TLDR

A magnitude‑9.0 earthquake off northeast Japan on March 11 2011 generated a tsunami that struck Japan and other Pacific locations. Researchers from across Japan conducted a joint survey along a 2000 km stretch of the Japanese coast to document tsunami impacts. The survey covered over 5,300 sites, producing the world’s largest tsunami dataset, with a maximum inundation of 19.5 m on the Sendai Plain, a 5 km inland bore, and the highest run‑ups in narrow bays 50–200 km north of Sendai, revealing regional variation in tsunami characteristics.

Abstract

[1] At 14:46 local time on March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of northeast Japan. This earthquake generated a tsunami that struck Japan as well as various locations around the Pacific Ocean. With the participation of researchers from throughout Japan, joint research groups conducted a tsunami survey along a 2000 km stretch of the Japanese coast. More than 5300 locations have been surveyed to date, generating the largest tsunami survey dataset in the world. On the Sendai Plain, the maximum inundation height was 19.5 m, and the tsunami bore propagated more than 5 km inland. Along the ria coast from about 50 to 200 km north of Sendai, the narrow bays focused the tsunami waves, generating the largest inundation heights and run-ups. The survey data clearly show a regional dependence of tsunami characteristics.