List of earthquakes in 1949

Earthquakes in 1949

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1949 5.0−5.9 magnitude 6.0−6.9 magnitude 7.0−7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	western Haida Gwaii, Canada (Magnitude 8.2) August 22
Deadliest	Tungurahua Province, Ecuador (Magnitude 6.5) August 5 6,000 deaths
Total fatalities	9,984
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
8.0−8.9	1
7.0−7.9	10
6.0−6.9	62
5.0−5.9	1
← 1948 1950 →

This is a list of earthquakes in 1949. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Three events took up the vast majority of the deaths for 1949. The events happened during a volatile mid year period seismically speaking. Firstly in Tajikistan in July 3,500 were killed. A few weeks later in early August a quake struck Ecuador leaving 6,000 dead. In mid August Turkey suffered from an earthquake leaving another 320 dead. Also in this part of the year was the largest quake, a magnitude 8.2 in Canada. The number of magnitude 7.0+ events was quite low with a total of 11 being recorded. Amongst them was a magnitude 7.7 in Tierra del Fuego which was a rare large event for this area.

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	Depth (km)	Date
7000100000000000000♠1	7003600000000000000♠6,000	7000650000000000000♠6.5	Tungurahua Province, Ecuador	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-08-05-0000August 5
7000200000000000000♠2	7003350000000000000♠3,500	7000750000000000000♠7.5	Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan	7001200000000000000♠20.0	000000002016-07-10-0000July 10
7000300000000000000♠3	7002320000000000000♠320	7000680000000000000♠6.8	Bingol Province, Turkey	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-08-17-0000August 17
7000400000000000000♠4	7001570000000000000♠57	7000690000000000000♠6.9	Araucania Region, Chile	7001577000000000000♠57.7	000000002016-04-20-0000April 20
7000500000000000000♠5	7001510000000000000♠51	7000550000000000000♠5.5	Sichuan Province, China	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-11-13-0000November 13
7000600000000000000♠6	7001210000000000000♠21	7000730000000000000♠7.3	southern Xinjiang Province, China	7001100000000000000♠10.0	000000002016-02-23-0000February 23
7000700000000000000♠7	7001160000000000000♠16	7000710000000000000♠7.1	Luzon, Philippines	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-12-29-0000December 29

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	Depth (km)	Date
7000100000000000000♠1	7000820009999999999♠8.2	5000000000000000000♠0	western Haida Gwaii, Canada	7001100000000000000♠10.0	000000002016-08-22-0000August 22
7000200000000000000♠2	7000770000000000000♠7.7	7000100000000000000♠1	Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile	7001100000000000000♠10.0	000000002016-12-17-0000December 17
7000300000000000000♠3	7000750000000000000♠7.5	5000000000000000000♠0	Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan	7002228700000000000♠228.7	000000002016-03-04-0000March 4
7000300000000000000♠3	7000750000000000000♠7.5	7003350000000000000♠3,500	Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan	7001200000000000000♠20.0	000000002016-07-10-0000July 10
7000300000000000000♠3	7000750000000000000♠7.5	5000000000000000000♠0	Tonga	7001700000000000000♠70.0	000000002016-08-06-0000August 6
7000300000000000000♠3	7000750000000000000♠7.5	5000000000000000000♠0	west of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea	7001600000000000000♠60.0	000000002016-10-19-0000October 19
7000400000000000000♠4	7000730000000000000♠7.3	7001210000000000000♠21	southern Xinjiang Province, China	7001100000000000000♠10.0	000000002016-02-23-0000February 23
7000400000000000000♠4	7000730000000000000♠7.3	7000300000000000000♠3	Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile	7001100000000000000♠10.0	000000002016-12-17-0000December 17
7000500000000000000♠5	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	Northern Mariana Islands	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-07-02-0000July 2
7000500000000000000♠5	7000710000000000000♠7.1	7001160000000000000♠16	Luzon, Philippines	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-12-29-0000December 29
7000600000000000000♠6	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	north of Halmahera, Indonesia	7001600000000000000♠60.0	000000002016-03-27-0000March 27

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the southern Indian Ocean on January 23 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[1]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck north of New Ireland (island), Papua New Guinea on January 27 at an unknown depth.^[2]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck north of New Ireland (island), Papua New Guinea on January 27 at an unknown depth.^[3]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on January 28 at an unknown depth.^[4]

February

• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Cook Strait, New Zealand on February 9 at a depth of 170.0 km.^[5]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Samoa on February 10 at an unknown depth.^[6]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the southern East Pacific Rise on February 11 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[7]
• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck south of the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on February 13 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[8]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico on February 14 at an unknown depth.^[9]
• A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck southern Xinjiang Province, China on February 23 at a depth of 10.0 km. Twenty-one people were killed, 17 more hurt, and 1,010 homes collapsed.^[10][11]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands on February 28 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[12]

March

• A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan on March 4 at a depth of 228.7 km. Some damage was caused.^[13][14]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea on March 16 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[15]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea on March 17 at a depth of 55.0 km.^[16]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of northern California on March 24 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[17]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck north of Halmahera, Indonesia on March 27 at a depth of 60.0 km.^[18]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Fiji on March 30 at an unknown depth.^[19]

April

• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck southeast of Olympia, Washington on April 13 at a depth of 50.0 km. Eight people died and property damage of $25 million (1949 rate) was caused.^[20][21]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Kuril Islands, Russia on April 19 at an unknown depth.^[22]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Araucania Region, Chile on April 20 at a depth of 57.7 km. Fifty-seven people were killed and some damage was caused.^[23][24]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the southern East Pacific Rise on April 22 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[25]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Flores Sea, Indonesia on April 23 at a depth of 20.0 km.^[26]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Hormozgan Province, Iran on April 24 at a depth of 100.0 km. The quake struck northeast of Bandar Abbas. Major damage was caused.^[27]

May

• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck northern Sumatra, Indonesia on May 9 at a depth of 50.0 km.^[28]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Jalisco, Mexico on May 10 at an unknown depth.^[29]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on May 21 at a depth of 40.0 km.^[30]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on May 23 at a depth of 160.0 km.^[31]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Michoacan, Mexico on May 24 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[32]

June

• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Sunda Strait, Indonesia on June 24 at a depth of 60.0 km.^[33]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea, Indonesia on June 26 at an unknown depth.^[34]

July

• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Northern Mariana Islands on July 2 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[35]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck under Lake Atitlan, Guatemala on July 8 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[36]
• A devastating magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan on July 10 at a depth of 20.0 km. The quake triggered a series of landslides which contributed to the deaths of 3,500 people. Many homes were destroyed. Large aftershocks followed.^[37][38]
• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan on July 10 at a depth of 20.0 km.^[39]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Districts of Republican Subordination, Tajikistan on July 10 at a depth of 20.0 km. This came 35 minutes after the previous aftershock.^[40]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the southern Indian Ocean on July 20 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[41]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Arequipa Region, Peru on July 21 at a depth of 65.0 km.^[42]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck off the coast of Izmir Province, Turkey on July 23 at a depth of 15.0 km. Seven people died and 435 were hurt. 534 homes were destroyed with a further 5,501 sustaining damage.^[43][44]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on July 27 at a depth of 25.0 km.^[45]

August

• A devastating magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Tungurahua Province, Ecuador on August 5 at a depth of 15.0 km. Six-thousand lives were lost and property damage costs were around $7.5 million (1949 rate).^[46][47]
• A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Tonga on August 6 at a depth of 70.0 km.^[48]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the western Pacific Ocean north of Papua New Guinea on August 13 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[49]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck southeast of Hokkaido, Japan on August 17 at a depth of 96.0 km.^[50]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Bingol Province, Turkey on August 17 at a depth of 15.0 km. This came just 10 minutes after the Japan quake. Another point to note is that this event struck 50 years to the day before the 1999 Izmit earthquake which struck the western end of Turkey. Three-hundred and twenty people died and major damage was caused.^[51][52]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chiriqui Province, Panama on August 18 at an unknown depth.^[53]
• A giant magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck western Haida Gwaii, Canada on August 22 at a depth of 10.0 km. This was one of the largest quakes in Canadian history.^[54]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on August 22 at an unknown depth.^[55]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck central Haida Gwaii, Canada on August 23 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[56]

September

• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck northern Luzon, Philippines on September 5 at a depth of 80.0 km.^[57]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea, Indonesia on September 14 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[58]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge on September 19 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[59]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand on September 20 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[60]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea on September 24 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[61]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea on September 25 at an unknown depth.^[62]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska on September 27 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[63]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck south of Fiji on September 30 at an unknown depth.^[64]

October

• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo on October 1 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[65]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge on October 4 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[66]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Southwest Indian Ridge on October 7 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[67]
• A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck west of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea on October 19 at a depth of 60.0 km.^[68]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck southeast of New Ireland (island), Papua New Guinea on October 20 at a depth of 96.0 km.^[69]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck off the southeast coast of Alaska on October 31 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[70]

November

• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Vanuatu on November 7 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[71]
• A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Sichuan Province, China on November 13 at an unknown depth. At least 51 people died and some damage was caused.^[72]
• An earthquake struck Terminal Island, California on November 17. The magnitude and depth were unknown. Damage to oil wells was reported in the area costing $9 million (1949 rate).^[73]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the Gulf of California, Mexico on November 20 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[74]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Tonga on November 27 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[75]

December

• A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile on December 17 at a depth of 10.0 km. This was an unusually large quake for this part of Chile. One person was killed and some damage was caused.^[76][77]
• A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region, Chile on December 17 at a depth of 10.0 km. This was a large aftershock. Three more people were killed and some further damage was caused.^[78][79]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Chiapas, Mexico on December 22 at a depth of 65.0 km.^[80]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Colima, Mexico on December 25 at an unknown depth.^[81]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Totigi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan on December 25 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[82]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Totigi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan on December 25 at a depth of 10.0 km. This came just seven minutes after the previous event and is an example of a doublet earthquake.^[83]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Fiji on December 26 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[84]
• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the far south Atlantic Ocean on December 27 at a depth of 10.0 km.^[85]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Luzon, Philippines on December 29 at a depth of 15.0 km. Sixteen people were killed and some homes were damaged or destroyed.^[86][87]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Fiji on December 29 at a depth of 160.0 km.^[88]

References