Jump to content

Lists of earthquakes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.150.223.79 (talk) at 00:01, 2 January 2006 (added earthquake with source). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The following is a list of major earthquakes.

USGS list of 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 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 c. 80,000 ~8.7 MI (Johnston, 1996)
December 16, 1811 8:00 New Madrid, Missouri, USA
see New Madrid Earthquake
36.6 -89.6 ~8.1 MI (Johnston, 1996)
January 23, 1812 15:00 New Madrid, Missouri, USA 36.6 -89.6 ~7.8 MI (Johnston, 1996)
February 7, 1812 9:45 New Madrid, Missouri, USA 36.6 -89.6 ~8 MI (Johnston, 1996)
June 2, 1823 8:00 south flank of Kilauea, Hawaii, USA 19.3 -155 ~7 MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
June 10, 1836 15:30 south San Francisco Bay region, California, USA 36.9 -121.5 ~6.5 MI (Bakun, 1999)
June 1838 San Francisco Peninsula, California, USA 37.3 -123.2 ~6.8 MI (Bakun, 1999)
January 5, 1843 2:45 Marked Tree, Arkansas, USA 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, USA 37.2 121.9 ~6.5 MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 3, 1868 2:25 Hilea, southeast Hawaii, Hawaii, USA 19.2 -155.5 77 ~7.9 MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
October 21, 1868 15:53 Hayward, California, USA 37.7 -122.1 30 ~6.8 MI (Bakun, 1999)
February 20, 1871 8:42 Molokai, Hawaii, USA 21.2 -156.9 ~6.8 MI (Klein and Wright, 2000)
March 26, 1872 10:30 Owens Valley, California, USA
see 1872 Lone Pine earthquake
36.5 -118 27 ~7.6 M (Beanland and Clark, 1994)
December 15, 1872 5:40 north Cascades, Washington, USA 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, USA 32.9 -80 60 ~7.3 MI (Johnston, 1996)
April 24, 1890 11:36 Corralitos, California, USA 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, USA 38.5 -121.8 1 ~6.4 MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 21, 1892 17:43 Winters, California, USA 38.6 -122 ~6.4 MI (Bakun, 1999)
October 31, 1895 11:08 Charleston, Missouri, USA 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, USA 37 -121.6 ~6.3 MI (Bakun, 1999)
March 31, 1898 7:43 Mare Island, California, USA 38.1 122.4 ~6.3 MI (Bakun, 1999)
April 15, 1898 7:07 Mendocino County, California, USA 39.3 -123.9 ~6.8 MI (Bakun, 2000)
September 4, 1899 0:22 Cape Yakataga, Alaska, USA 60 -142 7.9 MS
September 10, 1899 21:41 Yakutat Bay, Alaska, USA 60 -142 8 MS
October 9, 1900 12:28 Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA 57.1 -153.5 7.7 MS
March 3, 1901 7:45 Parkfield, California, USA 36.2 -120.7 6.4 MS (Abe, 1988)
August 27, 1904 21:56 Fairbanks, Alaska, USA 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, USA 37.39 -121.8 6.5 MS
October 3, 1915 6:52 Pleasant Valley, Nevada, USA 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, USA 40.7 -125.55 7.3 MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
March 10, 1922 11:21 Parkfield, California, USA 35.9 120.9 6.1 M (Bakun and McEvilly, 1984)
January 22, 1923 9:04 offshore, Cape Mendocino, California, USA 40.49 -125.32 7.2 MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
September 1, 1923 2:58 Kanto, Japan
see Great Kantō 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, USA 46.32 -111.52 6.6 M (Dosier, 1989)
June 29, 1925 14:42 Santa Barbara, California, USA 34.3 -119.8 13 6.8 M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
October 22, 1926 12:35 Monterey Bay, California, USA 36.62 -122.35 6.1 MG-R (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 22, 1926 13:35 Monterey Bay, California, USA 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, USA 34.92 -121.03 7.1 M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
November 18, 1929 20:32 Grand Banks, Newfoundland, Canada 44.69 -56.01 7.3 M (Bent, 1995)
December 21, 1932 6:10 Cedar Mountain, Nevada, USA 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, USA
see Long Beach earthquake of 1933
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, USA 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, USA 64.49 -146.85 7.3 MS
January 23, 1938 8:32 Maui, Hawaii, USA 20.96 -156.18 6.8 MS (Klein and Wright, 2000)
November 10, 1938 20:18 Shumagin Islands, Alaska, USA 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, USA 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, USA 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, USA 64.2 -148.3 7.2 M
April 13, 1949 19:55 Olympia, Washington, USA
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, USA 19.5 -155.95 6.9 MS (Klein and Wright, 2000)
July 21, 1952 11:52 Kern County, California, USA 34.95 -119.05 12 7.3 M (Stein and Hanks, 1998)
November 4, 1952 16:58 Kamchatka, Russia
see Kamchatka earthquakes
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, USA 39.42 -118.53 6.6 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
August 24, 1954 5:51 Stillwater, Nevada, USA 39.58 -118.45 6.8 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
December 16, 1954 11:07 Fairview Peak, Nevada, USA 39.32 -118.2 7.1 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
December 16, 1954 11:11 Dixie Valley, Nevada, USA 39.5 -118 6.8 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 24, 1955 4:10 Concord, California, USA 38 -122.1 1 5.4 ML (Bolt and Miller, 1975)
March 9, 1957 14:22 Andreanof Islands, Alaska, USA 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, USA 65.94 -156.37 7.3 M
July 10, 1958 6:15 Fairweather, Alaska, USA 58.37 -136.66 5 7.7 M
August 18, 1959 6:37 Hebgen Lake, Montana, USA 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, USA
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 Islands, Alaska, USA 51.21 -178.5 8.7 M
April 29, 1965 15:28 Seattle-Tacoma, Washington, USA
see Nisqually Earthquake
47.32 -122.33 7 6.5 ML (Algermissen and Harding, 1965)
June 28, 1966 4:26 Parkfield, California, USA 35.88 -120.49 6.1 M (Tsai and Aki, 1969)
September 12, 1966 16:41 Truckee, California, USA 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, USA 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, USA
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, USA 39.5 -121.39 5.8 M
November 29, 1975 14:47 south flank of Kilauea, Hawaii, USA 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
39.61 117.89 655,000* 7.5 M
August 6, 1979 17:05 Coyote Lake, California, USA 37.11 -121.52 5.7 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 15, 1979 23:17 Imperial Valley, California, USA 32.82 -115.65 6.4 M (Hartzell and Heaton, 1983)
January 24, 1980 19:00 Livermore, California, USA 37.71 -121.73 5.8 M (Bolt et al., 1981)
May 25, 1980 16:33 Mammoth Lakes, California, USA 37.6 -118.83 6.1 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 25, 1980 16:49 Mammoth Lakes, California, USA 37.65 -118.9 5.9 ML (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 25, 1980 19:44 Mammoth Lakes, California, USA 37.55 -118.82 5.8 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 27, 1980 14:50 Mammoth Lakes, California, USA 37.48 -118.8 6 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
November 8, 1980 10:27 Gorda Plate, California, USA 41.12 -124.67 7.2 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
May 2, 1983 23:42 Coalinga, California, USA 36.23 -120.32 6.5 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 28, 1983 14:06 Borah Peak, Idaho, USA 44.09 -113.8 2 7 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 16, 1983 16:13 Kaoiki, Hawaii, USA 19.44 155.38 6.7 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 24, 1984 21:15 Morgan Hill, California, USA 37.3 -121.71 6.2 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
November 23, 1984 18:08 Round Valley, California, USA 37.45 -118.6 5.7 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
September 19, 1985 13:17 Michoacán, Mexico
see Great Mexican Earthquake
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, USA 51.56 -174.81 8 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
July 8, 1986 9:20 north Palm Springs, California, USA 33.97 -116.78 6.1 M (Hartzell, 1989)
July 21, 1986 14:42 Chalfant Valley, California, USA 37.53 -118.43 6.2 M (Ellsworth, 1990)
October 1, 1987 14:42 Whittier Narrows, California, USA
see Whittier Narrows earthquake
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, USA
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, USA 34.25 -117.95 2 5.6 M (Wald et al., 1991)
August 17, 1991 22:17 Honeydew, California, USA 41.79 -125.58 7.1 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 23, 1992 4:50 Joshua Tree, California, USA 33.87 -116.55 6.1 M (Hauksson et al., 1993)
April 25, 1992 18:06 Cape Mendocino, California, USA 40.38 -124.05 7.2 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
April 26, 1992 7:41 offshore, Cape Mendocino, California, USA 40.55 -124.29 6.5 M (Oppenheimer et al., 1993)
April 26, 1992 11:18 offshore, Cape Mendocino, California, USA 40.44 -124.43 6.7 M (Oppenheimer et al., 1993)
June 28, 1992 11:57 Landers, California, USA 34.2 -116.52 3 7.3 M (Sieh et al. 1993)
June 29, 1992 10:14 Little Skull Mountain, Nevada, USA 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, USA
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, USA 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
see Izmit earthquake
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, USA 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, USA 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, USA
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, USA 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 Islands, Alaska, USA 51.15 178.65 7.8 M (PDE Monthly Listing)
December 22, 2003 19:15 San Simeon, California, USA 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, USA
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 95.87 283,106 9.0 M (QED)
March 28, 2005 16:09 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia
see 2005 Sumatra earthquake
2.07 97.01 1,313 8.7 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  
1156-1157 Syria ?
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  
October 18 1356 Basel, Switzerland 1,000 6.5  
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 See 1737 Calcutta cyclone
October 16 1737 Kamchatka, Russia 9.3 See Kamchatka earthquakes
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 45, 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, USA (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
December 20, 1942, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.9
November 26, 1943, Turkey
see NAFZ
7.7
January 15, 1944, 20:50 GTM-3 San Juan
Argentina
8,000 ~ 10,000 IX (7.8) The 30 second long earthquake destroyed 95% of the city, located 30 km form the epicentre.
February 1, 1944, Turkey
see NAFZ
7.5
August 17, 1949, Turkey
see NAFZ
7.1
August 13, 1951, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.8
August 8-August 12, 1953 Kefalonia, Greece
476 7.2 113 tremors over five days
May 26, 1957, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.8
August 19, 1966, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.6
July 22, 1967, Turkey
see NAFZ
7.0
May 22, 1971, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.8
December 23, 1972 Managua, Nicaragua 5,000 – 20,000 6.3 Somoza mishandling of earthquake aid has been cited as a contributing factor to the Sandinista revolution; devastated largest city in Nicaragua (Managua)
June 30, 1975 Norris Junction, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA 0 6.1 Largest earthquake in Yellowstone Caldera since 1959 Hebgen Lake event
March 4, 1977 Bucharest, Romania
see 1977 Bucharest Earthquake
1500 7.5 Lasted ~5 minutes and left the capital devastated.
June 21, 1990 Northwestern Iran 35000 7.7 Called Manjil-Rudbar Earthquake
March 13, 1992, Turkey
see NAFZ
6.5

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 not listed above

Date Time‡ Place Lat. Long. Fatalities Comments Magnitude
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 46 4801 injured; 103,000+ displaced 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
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 Offshore of Fukuoka, Japan
see Fukuoka earthquake
33.54°N 130.12°E 1 1145 injured; 3000+ displaced 7.0
June 13, 2005 22:44:33 UTC, 18:44:33 Local Time Tarapacá, Chile 19.896°S 69.125°W 11 115 km (70 miles) ENE of Iquique, Chile. 7.8
June 15, 2005 02:50:53 UTC, 18:50:53 Local Time June 14 Offshore of Northern California, USA 41.284°N 125.983°W 0 157 km (98 miles) WSW of Crescent City, California. 7.2
August 16, 2005 02:46:30 UTC, 11:46:30 Local Time August 16 Off the east coast of Honshu, Japan 
see Miyagi earthquake
38.259°N 148.980°E 0 95 km (60 miles) E of Sendai, Miyagi. 7.2
October 8, 2005 03:50:38 UTC, 08:50:38 Local Time October 8 Kashmir
see 2005 Kashmir earthquake
34.43°N 73.54°E 100,000 (Nov 23/2005 estimate), can rise to 150,000 125 km (75 miles) WNW of Srinagar, Kashmir (pop 894,000) 7.6 or 7.8
December 5, 2005 12:19:55 UTC, 14:19:55 Local Time Lake Tanganyika region
See 2005 Lake Tanganyika earthquake
6.212°S 29.599°E   55 km (35 miles) SE of Kalemie, DR Congo 6.8

Largest earthquakes by magnitude

Pos. Date Location Magnitude
1 May 22, 1960 Chile 9.5
2 October 16, 1737 Kamchatka, Russia 9.3
3 March 28, 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA 9.2
4 December 26, 2004 Off west coast northern Sumatra, Indonesia 9.0-9.3*
5 March 9, 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska, USA 9.1
6 November 4, 1952 Kamchatka, Russia 9.0
7 January 26, 1700 Cascadia subduction zone from Northern California to Vancouver Island ~9
8 January 31, 1906 Colombia-Ecuador 8.8
9 February 4, 1965 Rat Islands, Alaska, USA 8.7
10 November 24, 1833 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.7
11 November 1, 1755 Lisbon, Portugal ~8.7
12 March 28, 2005 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.5-8.7*
13 December 16, 1920 Ningxia-Gansu, China 8.6
14 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 10, 1948 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 110,000 7.3 Source: USGS [2]
11 October 8, 2005 Kashmir & N.W.F.P, Pakistan 100,000 (estimated) , 80,000 (official) 7.6 or 7.8 3.5 Million people homeless, 100,000 feared dead

Source: USGS [3]

See also