This is a list of earthquakes in 1918. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. A couple of major events capped a fairly active year. The two major events came within weeks of each other. The largest was a magnitude 8.3 in the Philippines in August. In early September a magnitude 8.1 struck Russia. The deadliest event occurred in February in China when a magnitude 7.3 caused 2,000 deaths.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Fujian Province 2 -7.3 , northwest of Puerto Rico 9.3 3 Philippines, south of Mindanao 4 Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 Philippines, south of Mindanao 2 Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands = 3 Russian SFSR, east of the Kuril Islands = 3 , Atacama Region = 4 , off the north coast of = 4 , Babar Islands 5 , Primorsky Krai = 6 , Fujian Province = 6 central Mid-Atlantic Ridge = 7 Bangladesh, Sreemangal Upazila = 7 , Mussau Island = 8 = 8 , northwest of Puerto Rico = 8 northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge = 9 , Heilongjiang Province = 9 , north of New Ireland (island) Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast of West Papua (province) 6.3 25.0 , Primorsky Krai 7.4 330.4

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Philippines, southeast Mindanao 6.9 35.0 , Jilin Province 6.5 450.0 , Shantou City Guangdong Province 7.3 15.0 The 1918 Shantou earthquake caused 2,000 deaths. At least more than 1,000 people were injured. Major damage was caused with scores of homes being destroyed. Shantou was hardest hit. 2,000 1,000+ , southwest of 6.2 35.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Heilongjiang Province 7.0 564.9 , southern California 6.7 10.0 1 person died and several were injured in the 1918 San Jacinto earthquake. Major damage was caused. 1 1+

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured central Mid-Atlantic Ridge 7.3 15.0 , off the coast of Coquimbo Region 6.8 20.0 , north of New Ireland (island) 7.0 15.0 7.1 35.0 , Sonora 6.8 10.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Morobe Province 6.2 15.0 , Queensland 6.0 VI-VII – – -

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Philippines east of Mindanao 6.5 35.0 , off the north coast 7.5 15.0 Bangladesh, Netrokona District 7.2 15.0 Some damage was reported. , off the coast of northern California 6.4 15.0 Greece Greece, north of Crete 6.5 150.0 British Solomon Islands 6.7 20.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.7 35.0 , off the north coast 6.6 15.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , east of New Britain 6.5 35.0 , Yunnan Province 5.5 0.0 Some damage was reported. Depth unknown. Philippines, off the south coast of Mindanao 8.3 20.0 The 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake caused 52 deaths. 46 were from the shaking and 6 from a major tsunami that washed ashore. Major damage was caused. The wave heights from the tsunami reached 24 feet. 52 Philippines, off the south coast of Mindanao 6.4 35.0 Aftershock. Philippines, off the south coast of Mindanao 6.9 15.0 Aftershock. Philippines, off the south coast of Mindanao 6.1 35.0 Aftershock. British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands 6.5 15.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands 8.1 15.0 23 7 Philippines, Batan Island 0.0 0.0 Some homes were destroyed. Magnitude and depth unknown. , off the west coast of Sumatra 6.5 35.0 Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands 6.7 35.0 Syria, off the coast of 6.6 15.0 , southeast of the Loyalty Islands 6.5 35.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , northwest of Puerto Rico 7.1 15.0 The 1918 San Fermin earthquake caused major destruction to Puerto Rico. In total 144 deaths were caused by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Damage costs amounted to $4 million (1918 rate). 144 6.3 30.0 , Ahuachapan Department 6.6 35.0 , Mussau Island 7.2 15.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Russian SFSR, east of the Kuril Islands 7.8 15.0 , Nagano Prefecture, Honshu 6.5 5.0 , Babar Islands 7.5 35.0 , Banda Sea 6.9 15.0 Russian SFSR, Sakha Republic 6.4 15.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Turkestan ASSR, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region 6.5 20.0 northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge 7.1 10.0 , Atacama Region 7.8 40.0 Some (at least 1) people were killed and Copiapo suffered major damage. 1+ , Vancouver Island 6.8 15.0 1918 Vancouver Island earthquake. , southeast of New Britain 6.6 458.9

References