September 16, 1640 Tsunami: South China Sea

Reference #414:

1640, September 16, validity 2. There was an earthquake (23 N, 117 E) in the province of Kwangtung in China. A tsunami was observed at Chenghai, Chuogang and Chieyang (according to the chronicles of these localities).

Reference #150:

1640, September 16. 23 N 117 E, validity 4. Kwantung, Chenghai, Chuoyang and Chieyang, earthquake and tsunami.

Reference #79:

1640, September 16. 23 N, 117 E, S. China sea. Earthquake and Tsunami. China, Kwantung, Chenghai, Chuoyang, and Chieyang.

Reference #8575:

1640, 16 Sept to 14 Oct. Validity 2 (possible tsunami) Lee (1998) cited the publication of Zhou and Adams (1986) as one of the data sources for a tsunami event on the SE Chinese coast on 16 September 1640. However, it appears that Zhou and Adams have not included this event in their work. Interestingly they have reported a tsunami at the same location for the year 1641.

Reference #10200:

Some studies noted the date of this event to be 16 September 1640. However, the precise date for this event was not recorded in the historical literature. Instead, it was recorded that the event occurred during the period between 16 September and 14 October (equivalent to the 8th month of the 13th Chongzhen year). Some records described the event as a sea-surge associated with an earthquake [e.g., Q4], which is probably the reason that it was regarded as a possible tsunami by some existing surveys. However, it was clearly documented in the earliest accessible report of this event [Q5] that the earthquake was not associated with the sea-surge but a separate event. Similar to event [1], Keimatsu (1963) misinterpreted this event as a tsunami.