Tsunamis in 1882

1882 Tsunami: Kansu (Gansu?) Province, China

1882 · An event that only caused a seiche

A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Kansu (Gansu?) Province, China in 1882.

Where the waves reached

The source of the tsunami. No runup with a place is recorded for it.

  • Under 1 m
  • 1 to 3 m
  • 3 to 10 m
  • 10 to 30 m
  • 30 m and more
  • Height not recorded

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date
1882
Source
Kansu (Gansu?) Province, China
Cause
Earthquake
Runups recorded
0
Waters
Ocean
How certain
An event that only caused a seiche

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

1882. China. Destructive shocks in Kansuh (Kanchau) were followed by an inundation, (Nature 1882). (reference #40)

1882. The ‘‘Kansuh (Kanchau)” region of China unidentified by WHB [Berninghausen] is undoubtedly the Kansu province in north central China, and the inundation reported presumably resulted from seismic effects on the Huang Ho or some other river and not from a tsunami. (reference #2689)

1882. There is a mistaken reference by Berninghausen (1969, ref #40) to a possible tsunami in China. The matter evidently concerns an overflow of a river (the Huanghe?) in Kansu Province (Cox, 1970 ref #2689). (reference #414)

Note: Kansu possibly (?) refers to Gansu province

More

Every tsunami in 1882The 1800sTsunamis of ChinaAlerts in force

Sources

Tsunami events and runups from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI tsunami event 5538.