Your American History Reference Guide!
List of earthquakes
The following is a list of major earthquakes
Significant earthquakes
This is a list of significant earthquakes as listed by the USGS . For other ancient or recent earthquakes not listed here, see the tables below.
Date
Time‡
Place
Lat.
Long.
Fatalities
M
MX † (M reference)
January 23 , 1556
Shaanxi , China see 1556 Shaanxi earthquake
34.5
109.7
830,000
~8
August 17 , 1668
Anatolia , Turkey
40
36
8,000
~8
January 26 , 1700
Cascadia subduction zone from Northern California to Vancouver Island see Cascadia Earthquake
~9
M (Satake et al, 1996)
November 1 , 1755
10:16
Lisbon , Portugal see 1755 Lisbon earthquake
36
-11
70,000
~8.7
MI (Johnston, 1996)
December 16 , 1811
8:00
New Madrid , Missouri , United States see New Madrid Earthquake
36.6
-89.6
~8.1
MI (Johnston, 1996)
January 23 , 1812
15:00
New Madrid , Missouri , United States
36.6
-89.6
~7.8
MI (Johnston, 1996)
February 7 , 1812
9:45
New Madrid , Missouri , United States
36.6
-89.6
~8
MI (Johnston, 1996)
June 2 , 1823
8:00
south flank of Kilauea , Hawaii , United States
19.3
-155
~7
MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
June 10 , 1836
15:30
south San Francisco Bay region, California , United States
36.9
-121.5
~6.5
MI (Bakun, 1999)
June 1838
San Francisco Peninsula , California , United States
37.3
-123.2
~6.8
MI (Bakun, 1999)
January 5 , 1843
2:45
Marked Tree , Arkansas , United States
35.5
-90.5
~6.3
MI (Johnston, 1996)
January 9 , 1857
16:24
Fort Tejon , California (San Andreas fault from Parkfield to Wrightwood )see Fort Tejon earthquake
1
~7.9
M (Grant and Sieh, 1993; Stein and Hanks, 1998)
December 16 , 1857
21:00
Naples , Italy
40.3
16
11,000
~6.9
MI
October 8 , 1865
20:46
San Jose , California , United States
37.2
121.9
~6.5
MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 3 , 1868
2:25
Hilea , southeast Hawaii, Hawaii , United States
19.2
-155.5
77
~7.9
MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
October 21 , 1868
15:53
Hayward , California , United States
37.7
-122.1
30
~6.8
MI (Bakun, 1999)
February 20 , 1871
8:42
Molokai , Hawaii , United States
21.2
-156.9
~6.8
MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
March 26 , 1872
10:30
Owens Valley , California , United States see 1872 Lone Pine earthquake
36.5
-118
27
~7.6
M (Beanland and Clark, 1994)
December 15 , 1872
5:40
north Cascades , Washington , United States
47.9
-120.3
~7.3
MI (Malone and Bor, 1979; Rogers et al., 1983)
November 23 , 1873
5:00
California -Oregon coast
42.2
-124.2
~7.3
MI (Bakun, 2000)
August 31 , 1886
2:51
Charleston , South Carolina , United States
32.9
-80
60
~7.3
MI (Johnston, 1996)
April 24 , 1890
11:36
Corralitos , California , United States
37
121.8
~6.3
MI (Bakun, 1999)
October 27 , 1891
21:38
Mino -Owari , Japan
35.6
136.6
7,273
~8
MS
April 19 , 1892
10:50
Vacaville , California , United States
38.5
-121.8
1
~6.4
MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 21 , 1892
17:43
Winters , California , United States
38.6
-122
~6.4
MI (Bakun, 1999)
October 31 , 1895
11:08
Charleston , Missouri , United States
37
-89.4
~6.6
MI (Johnston, 1996)
June 15 , 1896
19:32
Sanriku , Japan
39.5
144
~8.5
M
June 12 , 1897
11:06
Assam , India
26
91
1,500
~8.3
June 20 , 1897
20:14
Calaveras fault , California , United States
37
-121.6
~6.3
MI (Bakun, 1999)
March 31 , 1898
7:43
Mare Island , California , United States
38.1
122.4
~6.3
MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 15 , 1898
7:07
Mendocino County , California , United States
39.3
-123.9
~6.8
MI (Bakun, 2000)
September 4 , 1899
0:22
Cape Yakataga , Alaska , United States
60
-142
7.9
MS
September 10 , 1899
21:41
Yakutat Bay , Alaska , United States
60
-142
8
MS
October 9 , 1900
12:28
Kodiak Island , Alaska , United States
57.1
-153.5
7.7
MS
March 3 , 1901
7:45
Parkfield , California , United States
36.2
-120.7
6.4
MS (Abe, 1988)
August 27 , 1904
21:56
Fairbanks , Alaska , United States
64.7
-148.1
7.3
MS
July 9 , 1905
9:40
Mongolia
49
99
8.4
M
January 31 , 1906
15:36
Colombia -Ecuador
1
-81.5
1,000
8.8
M
April 18 , 1906
13:12
San Francisco , California (San Andreas fault from Cape Mendocino to San Juan Bautista )see San Francisco earthquake of 1906
3,000
7.8
M (Bakun, 1999)
August 17 , 1906
0:40
Valparaíso , Chile
-33
-72
20,000
8.2
M
December 28 , 1908
4:20
Messina , Italy
38.3
15.6
70,000
7.2
MS
July 1 , 1911
22:00
Calaveras fault , California , United States
37.39
-121.8
6.5
MS
October 3 , 1915
6:52
Pleasant Valley , Nevada , United States
40.5
-117.5
7.1
M (Stover and Coffman, 1993)
October 11 , 1918
14:14
Puerto Rico
18.47
-67.63
116
7.5
MS (McCann, 1985)
December 6 , 1918
8:41
Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada
49.62
-125.92
7
ML (Gutenberg and Richter, 1954: Rogers, 1983)
December 16 , 1920
12:05
Ningxia -Gansu , China
36.6
105.32
200,000
8.6
MS
January 31 , 1922
13:17
offshore, Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.7
-125.55
7.3
MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
March 10 , 1922
11:21
Parkfield , California , United States
35.9
120.9
6.1
M (Bakun and McEvilly, 1984)
January 22 , 1923
9:04
offshore, Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.49
-125.32
7.2
MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
September 1 , 1923
2:58
Kanto , Japan see Great Kanto earthquake
35.4
139.08
143,000
7.9
M
March 1 , 1925
2:19
Charlevoix , Quebec , Canada
47.76
-69.84
6.3
M (Bent, 1992)
June 28 , 1925
1:21
Clarkston Valley , Montana , United States
46.32
-111.52
6.6
M (Dosier, 1989)
June 29 , 1925
14:42
Santa Barbara , California , United States
34.3
-119.8
13
6.8
M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
October 22 , 1926
12:35
Monterey Bay , California , United States
36.62
-122.35
6.1
MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 22 , 1926
13:35
Monterey Bay , California , United States
36.55
-122.18
6.1
MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
March 7 , 1927
9:27
Tango , Japan
35.8
134.92
3,020
7.6
MS
May 22 , 1927
22:32
Tsinghai , China
37.39
102.31
200,000
7.9
MS
November 4 , 1927
13:51
offshore Lompoc , California , United States
34.92
-121.03
7.1
M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
November 18 , 1929
20:32
Grand Banks , Nova Scotia , Canada
44.69
-56.01
7.3
M (Bent, 1995)
December 21 , 1932
6:10
Cedar Mountain , Nevada , United States
38.51
-118.08
7.2
M
March 2 , 1933
17:31
Sanriku , Japan
39.22
144.62
2,990
8.4
M
March 11 , 1933
1:54
Long Beach , California , United States
33.6
-118
115
6.4
M (Hauksson & Gross, 1991)
November 20 , 1933
23:21
Baffin Bay , Canada
73
-69.98
7.4
M (Stein et al. 1979)
January 15 , 1934
8:43
Bihar , India
27.55
87.09
10,700
8.1
M (Chen and Molnar, 1977)
June 8 , 1934
4:47
Parkfield , California , United States
35.9
-120.9
6.1
M (Bakun and McEvilly, 1984)
November 1 , 1935
6:03
Timiskaming , Quebec , Canada
48.89
-79
6.2
M (Bent, 1996)
July 22 , 1937
17:09
Salcha , Alaska , United States
64.49
-146.85
7.3
MS
January 23 , 1938
8:32
Maui , Hawaii , United States
20.96
-156.18
6.8
MS (Klein and Wright, 2000)
November 10 , 1938
20:18
Shumagin Islands , Alaska , United States
55.33
-158.37
8.2
M
December 26 , 1939
23:57
Erzincan , Turkey
39.77
39.53
32,700
7.8
MS
May 19 , 1940
4:36
Imperial Valley , California , United States
32.73
-115.5
9
7.1
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
December 7 , 1944
4:35
Tonankai , Japan
33.75
136
1,223
8.1
M
April 1 , 1946
12:28
Unimak Island , Alaska , United States
52.75
-163.5
165
7.3
MS (Stover and Coffman, 1993)
June 23 , 1946
17:13
Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada
49.75
-124.5
7.3
ML (Gutenberg and Richter, 1954: Rogers, 1983)
August 4 , 1946
17:51
Dominican Republic
19.25
-69
100
8
MS (Abe, 1981)
December 20 , 1946
19:19
Nankaido , Japan
32.5
134.5
1,330
8.1
M
October 16 , 1947
2:09
Fairbanks , Alaska , United States
64.2
-148.3
7.2
M
April 13 , 1949
19:55
Olympia , Washington , United States see Nisqually Earthquake
47.1
-122.7
8
7.1
ML (Baker and Langston, 1987)
August 22 , 1949
4:01
Queen Charlotte Islands , British Columbia , Canada
53.62
-133.27
8.1
MS (Gutenberg and Richter, 1954)
August 15 , 1950
14:09
Assam -Tibet
28.5
96.5
1,526
8.6
M
August 21 , 1951
10:57
Kona , Hawaii , United States
19.5
-155.95
6.9
MS (Klein and Wright, 2000)
July 21 , 1952
11:52
Kern County , California , United States
34.95
-119.05
12
7.3
M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
November 4 , 1952
16:58
Kamchatka , Russia
52.76
160.06
9
M
March 29 , 1954
6:17
Spain
37.03
-3.51
7.9
M
July 6 , 1954
11:13
Rainbow Mountain , Nevada , United States
39.42
-118.53
6.6
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
August 24 , 1954
5:51
Stillwater , Nevada , United States
39.58
-118.45
6.8
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
December 16 , 1954
11:07
Fairview Peak , Nevada , United States
39.32
-118.2
7.1
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
December 16 , 1954
11:11
Dixie Valley , Nevada , United States
39.5
-118
6.8
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 24 , 1955
4:10
Concord , California , United States
38
-122.1
1
5.4
ML (Bolt and Miller, 1975)
March 9 , 1957
14:22
Andreanof Islands , Alaska , United States
51.56
-175.39
9.1
M
December 4 , 1957
3:37
Gobi -Altai , Mongolia
45.15
99.21
30
8.1
M
April 7 , 1958
15:30
Huslia , Alaska , United States
65.94
-156.37
7.3
M
July 10 , 1958
6:15
Fairweather , Alaska , United States
58.37
-136.66
5
7.7
M
August 18 , 1959
6:37
Hebgen Lake , Montana , United States
44.6
-110.64
28
7.3
M (Dosier, 1985)
February 29 , 1960
23:40
Agadir , Morocco
30.5
-9.3
10,000
5.7
M
May 22 , 1960
19:11
Chile see Great Chilean Earthquake
-38.24
-73.05
5,700
9.5
M
March 28 , 1964
3:36
Prince William Sound , Alaska , United States see Good Friday Earthquake
61.02
-147.65
125
9.2
M
June 16 , 1964
4:01
Niigata , Japan
38.43
139.23
26
7.5
M
February 4 , 1965
5:01
Rat Island , Alaska , United States
51.21
-178.5
8.7
M
April 29 , 1965
15:28
Seattle -Tacoma , Washington , United States see Nisqually Earthquake
47.32
-122.33
7
6.5
ML (Algermissen and Harding, 1965)
June 28 , 1966
4:26
Parkfield , California , United States
35.88
-120.49
6.1
M (Tsai and Aki, 1969)
September 12 , 1966
16:41
Truckee , California , United States
39.38
-120.22
5.9
M (Tsai and Aki, 1970)
December 10 , 1967
22:51
Koyna , India
17.39
73.77
6.3
M (Langston, 1976)
October 2 , 1969
6:19
Santa Rosa , California , United States
38.3
-122.76
1
5.7
ML (Bolt and Miller, 1975)
May 31 , 1970
20:23
Peru
-9.25
-78.84
66,000
7.9
M
July 31 , 1970
17:08
Colombia
-1.49
-72.56
8
MS
February 9 , 1971
14:00
San Fernando , California , United States see Sylmar earthquake
34.4
-118.39
65
6.7
M (Heaton, 1982)
February 4 , 1975
11:36
Haicheng , China
40.72
122.73
10,000
7
M (Cipar, 1979)
August 1 , 1975
20:20
Oroville , California , United States
39.5
-121.39
5.8
M
November 29 , 1975
14:47
south flank of Kilauea , Hawaii , United States
19.45
-155.03
2
7.2
MS (Klein and Wright, 2000)
February 4 , 1976
9:01
Guatemala
15.3
-89.14
23,000
7.5
M
July 27 , 1976
19:42
Tangshan , China see Tangshan earthquake
39.61
117.89
255,000*
7.5
M
August 6 , 1979
17:05
Coyote Lake , California , United States
37.11
-121.52
5.7
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 15 , 1979
23:17
Imperial Valley , California , United States
32.82
-115.65
6.4
M (Hartzell and Heaton, 1983)
January 24 , 1980
19:00
Livermore , California , United States
37.71
-121.73
5.8
M (Bolt et al., 1981)
May 25 , 1980
16:33
Mammoth Lakes , California , United States
37.6
-118.83
6.1
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 25 , 1980
16:49
Mammoth Lakes , California , United States
37.65
-118.9
5.9
ML (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 25 , 1980
19:44
Mammoth Lakes , California , United States
37.55
-118.82
5.8
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 27 , 1980
14:50
Mammoth Lakes , California , United States
37.48
-118.8
6
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
November 8 , 1980
10:27
Gorda Plate , California , United States
41.12
-124.67
7.2
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 2 , 1983
23:42
Coalinga , California , United States
36.23
-120.32
6.5
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 28 , 1983
14:06
Borah Peak , Idaho , United States
44.09
-113.8
2
7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 16 , 1983
16:13
Kaoiki , Hawaii , United States
19.44
155.38
6.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 24 , 1984
21:15
Morgan Hill , California , United States
37.3
-121.71
6.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 23 , 1984
18:08
Round Valley , California , United States
37.45
-118.6
5.7
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
September 19 , 1985
13:17
Michoacán , Mexico
18.44
-102.36
9,500
8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
December 23 , 1985
5:16
Nahanni , Northwest Territories , Canada
62.16
-124.31
6.8
M (Wetmiller et al., 1988)
May 7 , 1986
22:47
Andreanof Islands , Alaska , United States
51.56
-174.81
8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
July 8 , 1986
9:20
north Palm Springs , California , United States
33.97
-116.78
6.1
M (Hartzell, 1989)
July 21 , 1986
14:42
Chalfant Valley , California , United States
37.53
-118.43
6.2
M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 1 , 1987
14:42
Whittier Narrows , California , United States
34.06
-118.13
8
5.9
M (Hartzell and Iida, 1990)
November 30 , 1987
19:23
Gulf of Alaska
58.84
-142.6
7.9
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
January 22 , 1988
0:35
Tennant Creek , Australia
-19.87
133.78
6.3
M (Choy and Bowman, 1990)
January 22 , 1988
3:57
Tennant Creek , Australia
-19.88
133.83
6.4
M (Choy and Bowman, 1990)
January 22 , 1988
12:04
Tennant Creek , Australia
-19.9
133.83
6.6
M (Choy and Bowman, 1990)
March 6 , 1988
22:35
Gulf of Alaska
57.26
-142.75
7.8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 25 , 1988
23:46
Saguenay , Quebec , Canada
48.06
-71.27
5.9
M (Boatwright and Choy, 1992)
December 7 , 1988
7:41
Spitak , Armenia
40.93
44.11
25,000
6.8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
October 18 , 1989
0:04
Loma Prieta , California , United States see Loma Prieta earthquake
37.14
-121.76
63
6.9
M (Wald et al., 1991)
December 25 , 1989
14:24
Ungava , Quebec , Canada
60.07
-73.54
6
M (Bent, 1994)
June 28 , 1991
1:43
Sierra Madre , California , United States
34.25
-117.95
2
5.6
M (Wald et al., 1991)
August 17 , 1991
22:17
Honeydew , California , United States
41.79
-125.58
7.1
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 23 , 1992
4:50
Joshua Tree , California , United States
33.87
-116.55
6.1
M (Hauksson et al., 1993)
April 25 , 1992
18:06
Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.38
-124.05
7.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 26 , 1992
7:41
offshore, Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.55
-124.29
6.5
M (Oppenheimer et al., 1993)
April 26 , 1992
11:18
offshore, Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.44
-124.43
6.7
M (Oppenheimer et al., 1993)
June 28 , 1992
11:57
Landers , California , United States
34.2
-116.52
3
7.3
M (Sieh et al. 1993)
June 29 , 1992
10:14
Little Skull Mountain , Nevada , United States
36.77
-116.32
5.7
M (Walter, 1993)
September 2 , 1992
0:16
Nicaragua
11.77
-87.35
116
7.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
September 29 , 1993
22:25
Latur -Killari , India
18.08
76.52
9,748
6.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
January 17 , 1994
12:30
Northridge , California , United States see 1994 Northridge Earthquake
34.18
-118.56
60
6.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
June 9 , 1994
0:33
Bolivia
-13.86
-67.49
5
8.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
September 1 , 1994
15:15
Cape Mendocino , California , United States
40.38
-125.78
7.1
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
January 16 , 1995
20:46
Kobe , Japan see Great Hanshin earthquake
34.57
135.03
5,502
6.9
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
May 21 , 1997
22:51
Jabalpur , India
23.07
80.12
38
5.8
M (Singh et al., 1999)
July 17 , 1998
8:49
New Guinea
-2.94
142.58
2,183
7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
January 25 , 1999
18:19
Colombia
4.45
-75.65
1,185
6.2
August 17 , 1999
0:01
Izmit , Turkey
40.77
30
17,118
7.6
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
September 20 , 1999
17:47
Chi-Chi , Taiwan See Chi-Chi earthquake
23.82
120.86
2,400
7.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
October 16 , 1999
9:46
Hector Mine , California , United States
34.56
-116.44
7.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 12 , 1999
16:57
Duzce , Turkey
40.82
31.23
894
7.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
September 3 , 2000
8:36
Napa , California , United States
38.38
-122.41
5
M (BRK)
November 16 , 2000
4:54
New Ireland , Papua New Guinea
-4
152.33
8
January 13 , 2001
17:33
El Salvador
13.04
-88.66
844
7.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
January 26 , 2001
3:16
Gujarat , India see 2001 Gujarat Earthquake
23.39
70.23
20,085
7.7
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
February 28 , 2001
18:54
Olympia , Washington , United States see Nisqually Earthquake
47.11
-122.6
6.8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
June 23 , 2001
20:33
coastal Peru
-16.3
-73.55
75
8.4
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
March 25 , 2002
14:56
Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan
36.06
69.32
1,000
6.1
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 20 , 2002
10:50
Au Sable Forks , New York
44.51
-73.7
5.2
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 3 , 2002
22:12
Denali National Park , Alaska , United States
63.52
-147.44
7.9
M (QED)
May 21 , 2003
18:44
Boumerdes , Algeria
36.96
3.63
2,266
6.8
M (QED)
September 25 , 2003
19:50
Hokkaido , Japan
41.82
143.91
8.3
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 17 , 2003
06:43
Rat Island , Alaska , United States
51.15
178.65
7.8
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
December 22 , 2003
19:15
San Simeon , California , United States
35.71
-121.10
2
6.6
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
December 26 , 2003
01:56
southeastern Iran see Bam: 2003 earthquake
29.00
58.31
31,000
6.6
M (PDE Monthly Listing)
September 28 , 2004
17:15
Parkfield , California , United States see Parkfield earthquake
35.81
-120.37
6.0
M (QED)
December 26 , 2004
00:58
off west coast northern Sumatra see 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
3.30
95.96
283,100
9.0
M (QED)
† MG-R = Gutenberg and Richter's (1954) magnitude, MS = 20 s surface-wave magnitude, M = moment magnitude (Hanks and Kanamori, 1979), and MI is an intensity magnitude, ML is local magnitude (Richter, 1935). ‡ GMT * Fatalities estimated as high as 655,000.
Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS) [1]
Other earthquakes not listed by the USGS
Date
Site
Deaths
Magnitude or intensity*
Comments
464 BC
Sparta , Greece
?
–
Led to a helot uprising and strained relations with Athens , one of the factors that led to the Peloponnesian War
226 BC
Rhodes , Greece
?
–
Destroyed Colossus of Rhodes and city of Kameiros
365
Knossos , Crete (Greece )
50,000
XI
365
Cyrene , Libya
?
–
May 20 526
Antiochia , Syria
250,000
–
844
Damascus , Syria
50,000
VIII
847
Mosul , Iraq
50,000
–
847
Damascus , Syria
70,000
X
856
Qumis , Damghan , Iran
200,000
–
856
Corinth , Greece
45,000
–
893
Caucasus
82,000
–
893
Daipur , India
180,000
–
893
Ardabil , Iran
150,000
–
1036
Shanxi , China
23,000
–
1042
Palmyra , Baalbek , Syria
50,000
X
1057
Chihli (Hopeh), China
25,000
–
1138
Ganzah , Aleppo , Syria
230,000
XI
1170
Sicily
15,000
–
July 5 , 1201
Upper Egypt or Syria
1,100,000
IX
1268
Cilicia , Anatolia (Turkey )
60,000
–
September 27 1290
Chihli (Hopeh), China
100,000
6.7
May 20 1293
Kamakura , Japan
30,000
–
January 26 1531
Lisbon , Portugal
30,000
–
November 1667
Shemakha , Azerbaijan
80,000
–
June 7 1692
Port Royal , Jamaica
30,000
–
January 11 1693
Catania Province , Sicily
60,000
–
1693
Naples , Italy
93,000
–
1707
Japan (seismic wave)
30,000
–
December 30 1730
Hokkaido Island , Japan
137,000
–
1731
Beijing , China
100,000
–
October 11 1737
Calcutta , India
300,000
–
Recent studies indicate that these casualties were most likely due to a cyclone, not an earthquake.
June 7 1755
Northern Persia
40,000
–
November 18 1755
Boston , Massachusetts
0
–
February 28 , 1780
Iran
200,000
–
Latitude: 38, longitude: 46.2
February 4 —5 , March 28 1783
Calabria , Italy
35,000
–
February 4 1797
Quito , Ecuador & Cuzco , Peru
41,000
–
February 10 1797
Sumatra , East Indies (now Indonesia)
300
8.4
December 8 , 1812 at 9:45
Wrightwood , California , United States (lat. 34.22, long. 117.39)
40
~7
Destroys church of Mission San Juan Capistrano
November 24 1833
Sumatra , East Indies (now Indonesia)
8.7
January 23 , 1855 21:11 local time
Wairarapa , New Zealand
4
~8.0
Raised sections of Wellington coastline by 2 metres
February 16 1861
Sumatra , East Indies (now Indonesia)
8.5
February 3 , 1931 , 10:47 local time
Napier , New Zealand see Napier earthquake
258
7.9
Much of city destroyed; 40 km2 of seabed raised to become dry land
December 25 , 1932 ,
Gansu , China
70,000
7.6
April 21 , 1935 , 6:02 local time
Hsinchu -Taichung , Taiwan
3,279
7.1
June 30 , 1975
Norris Junction, Yellowstone National Park , Wyoming , United States
0
6.1
Largest earthquake in Yellowstone Caldera since 1959 Hebgen Lake event
Note: Magnitudes are generally estimations from intensity data. When no magnitude was available, the maximum intensity , written as a Roman numeral from I to XII, is given.
Recent earthquakes
Date
Time‡
Place
Lat.
Long.
Fatalities
Comments
Magnitude
February 24 , 2004
02:24
Al-Hoceima , Morocco
35.14N
3.99W
At least 1,200
Major damage to buildings and infrastructure; max. horizontal acc. of 0.24g recorded near the city of Imzuren
6.5; numerous aftershocks
September 5 , 2004
19:07 and 23:57 Japan Time
Off central Tokai region , western Japan
0
20+ injured, tsunami and flooding
6.9 and 7.4
October 8 , 2004
15:35
Mindoro , Philippines
13.21
121.65
—
Sporadic blackouts
6.6
October 9 , 2004
22:26
80 kilometres southwest of Managua , Nicaragua
12
86
0
Minimal damage
6.9
October 23 , 2004
17:56
Ojiya , Japan see 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake
37.3
138.8
39
Extensive damage
6.9
October 27 , 2004
18:34
Vrancea , Romania
0
Telephone service interrupted; felt also in Bulgaria , Ukraine , Moldova and Turkey
5.8 (Istanbul 's Kandilli Observatory reported 6.5)
November 10 , 2004
22:58
Solomon Islands
9
159
0
No injuries nor damage
6.9
November 11 , 2004
21:36
96 kilometres west-northwest of Dili , East Timor
6
21 injured
7.3
November 15 , 2004
around 9:00
off coast of Chocó , Colombia
0
11+ injured, 18 homes destroyed, half near Buenaventura
6.7
November 21 , 2004
45 kilometres north-northwest of Dominica
1
Half-dozen injured, damage also in Guadeloupe
6.0
November 21 , 2004
48 kilometres south-southwest of San José, Costa Rica
8
Half-dozen injured
6.2
November 28 , 2004
18:32
900 kilometres northwest of Tokyo, Japan , 50 km below sea level
0
8 injured, utility services interrupted in hundreds of homes
7.1
December 23 , 2004
14:59
495 kilometres north of Macquarie Island , SW of New Zealand
50.24°S
160.13°E
0
Minimal damage reported in southern New Zealand
8.1
December 26 , 2004
00:58
Off west coast northern Sumatra, Indonesia
3.30
95.96
280,000+
Generated tsunami, see 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
9.0
February 11 , 2005
21:00:23.9
114 kilometres southwest of Haines Junction, Yukon , Canada
60.21°N
139.50°W
0
No damage nor injuries
5.5
February 22 , 2005
02:25:21 UTC, 05:55:21 Local Time
Zarand, Iran see 2005 Zarand earthquake
30.726°N
56.817°E
At least 790
Hundreds injured, damage in some 40 villages, centered 150 miles from Bam , Iran
6.4
March 6 , 2005
19:06:52 UTC, 3:06:52 AM Local Time
Near Sua-ho, Taiwan
24.607°N
121.859°E
0
See below
5.7
March 6 , 2005
19:08:00 UTC, 3:08:00 AM Local Time
Near Sua-ho, Taiwan
24.650°N
121.855°E
0
Occurred within minutes of a previous earthquake of magnitude 5.7 centered in the same area; no major injuries or damage reported from either earthquake
5.4
March 6 , 2005
06:17:49 UTC, 1:17:49 AM Local Time
Gaspe Peninsula Canada
47.750°N
69.730°W
0
102 km (63 miles) WNW (303°) from Fort Kent, ME
5.4
March 20 , 2005
01:53 UTC, 10:53 AM Local Time
Japan sea , near Fukuoka
33.54°N
130.12°E
1
At least 700 injured; more than 2000 displaced
7.0
March 28 , 2005
16:09:37 UTC, 3:06:52 AM Local Time
205 kilometers northwest of Sibolga, Sumatra , Indonesia
2.093°N
97.016°E
Hundreds
Occurred near the site of where a 9.0 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami in December 2004 . See 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake .
8.7
Largest earthquakes by magnitude
Pos. Date Location Magnitude
1 May 22 , 1960 Chile 9.5
2 March 28 , 1964 Prince William Sound , Alaska , United States 9.2
3 December 26 , 2004 Off west coast northern Sumatra , Indonesia 9.0-9.3*
4 March 9 , 1957 Andreanof Islands , Alaska , United States 9.1
5 November 4 , 1952 Kamchatka , Russia 9.0
6 January 26 , 1700 Cascadia subduction zone from Northern California to Vancouver Island ~9
7 January 31 , 1906 Colombia -Ecuador 8.8
8 February 4 , 1965 Rat Islands , Alaska , United States 8.7
9 November 1 , 1755 Lisbon , Portugal ~8.7
10 March 28 , 2005 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.5-8.7*
11 December 16 , 1920 Ningxia -Gansu , China 8.6
11 August 15 , 1950 Assam -Tibet 8.6
* Scientists have not yet agreed on an official magnitude.
Deadliest earthquakes on record
Pos. Date Location Fatalities Magnitude Comments
1 January 23 , 1556 Shaanxi , China 830,000 ~8
2 December 26 , 2004 Off west coast northern Sumatra, Indonesia 283,100 9.0-9.3 Deaths from earthquake and tsunami.
3 July 27 , 1976 Tangshan , China 255,000 (official) 7.5 Estimated death toll as high as 655,000.
4 August 9 , 1138 Aleppo , Syria 230,000
5 December 22 , 856 + Damghan , Iran 200,000
5 December 16 , 1920 Ningxia -Gansu , China 200,000 8.6 Major fractures, landslides.
5 May 22 , 1927 Tsinghai , China 200,000 7.9 Large fractures.
8 March 23 , 893 + Ardabil , Iran 150,000
9 September 1 , 1923 Kanto , Japan 143,000 7.9 Great Tokyo fire.
10 October 5 , 1948 Ashgabat , Turkmenistan , USSR 110,000 7.3
Source: USGS [2]
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