This is a list of earthquakes in 1940. 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. Overall, with 13 magnitude 7.0+ events worldwide, this was a fairly busy year. The death toll was substantially lower than 1939. The most significant event in terms of lives lost was in Romania in November with 1,000 deaths. Other quakes in China and Peru resulted in significant fatalities.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Vrancea County 2 , Yunnan Province 3 , Lima Region 4 , Inner Mongolia 5 Georgian SSR, Imereti 6 , eastern Sea of Japan Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Lima Region 2 , Vrancea County 3 , Northern Mariana Islands = 4 , Northern Mariana Islands = 4 , eastern Sea of Japan 5 , Rat Islands, Alaska 6 , Heilongjiang Province 7 , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 8 , La Paz Department (Bolivia) = 9 = 9 , southern Sea of Japan = 9 , southeast of Mindanao = 9 , Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 7.2 180.0 , Northern Mariana Islands 7.5 15.0 , Inner Mongolia 6.0 35.0 At least 51 people were killed and many homes were destroyed. 51+ , southeast of the Ryukyu Islands 6.6 15.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of Atacama Region 6.5 70.0 Fiji, south of 6.6 220.0 , south of the Alaska Peninsula 6.8 0.0 Depth unknown. 7.0 210.0 , off the north coast of 6.3 15.0 , Delta Amacuro 6.0 35.0 Greece, north of Crete 6.0 35.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Bonin Islands 6.5 500.0 , Nuristan Province 6.0 50.0 , west of Luzon 6.6 200.9 , off the coast of Arica y Parinacota Region 6.0 50.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Papua (province) 6.6 35.0 , Volcano Islands 6.5 220.0 , Yunnan Province 6.0 35.0 181 people died and another 475 were injured. 11,556 homes were destroyed. 181 475 , Valparaíso Region 6.0 35.0 , Near Islands, Alaska 6.9 30.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Near Islands, Alaska 6.9 30.0 , Shiga Prefecture, Honshu 6.0 400.0 , Espiritu Santo 6.5 35.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Espiritu Santo 6.5 35.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Chaco Province 6.2 580.0 Iran, Razavi Khorasan province 6.3 15.0 , off the coast of northern 6.0 35.0 Georgian SSR, Imereti 6.5 50.0 16 deaths were caused and some damage was reported. 16 British Burma, Sagaing Region 6.5 80.0 , southern California 6.9 6.0 9 people died in the 1940 El Centro earthquake. Major damage was caused in the area. Costs were $33 million (1940 rate). 9 Russian SFSR, Sea of Okhotsk 6.6 575.0 Portuguese Mozambique, Gaza Province 6.2 35.0 Fiji 6.5 350.0 , Lima Region 8.2 45.0 1940 Lima earthquake: 179 people were killed and 3,500 were injured. Many homes were destroyed. 179 3,500 , Lima Region 6.6 45.0 Aftershock. , Badakhshan Province 6.2 240.0 , Papua (province) 6.6 35.0 , Northwest Territories 6.2 35.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Gulf of California 6.2 35.0 , Northwest Territories 6.5 10.0 , D'Entrecasteaux Islands 6.2 35.0 , Banda Sea 6.2 35.0 , southeast of Honshu 6.5 100.0 , northeast of Hawaii 6.0 0.0 Depth unknown. , Moro Gulf 6.5 570.0 , Yunnan Province 5.5 0.0 2 deaths and 20 injuries were caused. Many homes were destroyed. 2 20 , Gulf of Tomini 6.6 170.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6.5 160.0 , Heilongjiang Province 7.3 575.0 , Rat Islands, Alaska 7.4 65.0 , Celebes Sea 6.3 15.0 , Escuintla Department 6.5 35.0 , Yozgat Province 6.2 35.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Fiji, south of 6.6 500.0 , eastern Sea of Japan 7.5 15.0 A tsunami was triggered by the 1940 Shakotan earthquake resulting in 10 deaths due to drowning. 20 homes were destroyed. The earthquake caused some damage. 10 , Liaoning Province 5.8 0.0 1,190 homes were destroyed. , Antofagasta Region 6.2 110.0 , southern Sea of Japan 7.0 15.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.9 15.0 , Junín Region 6.0 110.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Celebes Sea 6.5 160.0 , southeast New Ireland (island) 6.6 75.5 , Antofagasta Region 6.5 110.0 , Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 6.5 15.0 , Badakhshan Province 6.2 250.0 , Mindanao 6.8 640.0 , Salta Province 6.5 550.0 , Acre (state) 6.0 600.0 British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands 6.6 135.0 , Mendoza Province 6.2 110.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Atacama Region 6.5 45.0 , Tarapacá Region 6.2 110.0 Foreshock. , Xizang Province 6.0 35.0 , off the coast of Tarapacá Region 6.9 35.0 , Puntarenas Province 6.2 35.0 , off the coast of Tarapacá Region 6.4 15.0 Aftershock. , southeast of Mindanao 7.0 15.0 , Kenai Peninsula, Alaska 6.0 0.0 , Chiloé Island, Los Lagos Region 7.0 35.0 , Vrancea County 6.5 150.0 , Pastaza Province 6.0 140.0 , O'Higgins Region 6.6 45.0 , Puntarenas Province 6.6 35.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , south of Honshu 6.6 440.0 , Vrancea County 7.8 90.0 The 1940 Vrancea earthquake caused 1,000 deaths despite being at an intermediate depth. Extensive property damage was caused with costs reaching $10 million (1940 rate). 1,000 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.7 44.2 Russian SFSR, Primorsky Krai 6.0 570.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Seram 6.3 35.0 , Baja California 6.1 6.0 , Papua (province) 6.5 35.0 , Eastern Province, Northern Rhodesia 6.0 35.0 , Banda Sea 6.5 150.0 , La Paz Department (Bolivia) 7.1 220.0 , Northern Mariana Islands 7.7 15.0

References