Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
List of earthquakes
The following is a list of major earthquakes.
| Contents |
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, TaiwanSee 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 |
Related articles
External links
- The 25 Largest Earthquake Disasters in Human History
- Latest earthquakes
- USGS list of current earthquakes
- Earthquakes Canada
- Recent New Zealand earthquakes
- Earthquakes in India
10-26-2009 08:16:03
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details