List of earthquakes in 1942

This is a list of earthquakes in 1942. 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. This year saw an average number of magnitude 7.0+ events. The dominant event this year in terms of deaths was in December in Turkey with 1,000 of the 1,489 deaths for the year. Other deadly events occurred elsewhere in Turkey. Ecuador, China and Albania had earthquakes causing dozens of deaths. An unusually large quake struck the Southwest Indian Ridge in November with a magnitude of 8.0. Spreading ridges usually have smaller magnitude events.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Samsun Province 2 , Manabí Province 3 , Yunnan Province 4 , Inner Mongolia 5 , Dibër County 6 , off the west coast of Guatemala 7 , Ayacucho Region 8 , Çorum Province 9 , Balıkesir Province Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Ayacucho Region 2 Southwest Indian Ridge 3 , Manabí Province 4 , off the west coast of Guatemala 5 , south of Minahasa Peninsula, Dutch East Indies = 6 , west of Mindoro, Philippines = 6 , Kuril Islands = 7 , Papua (province), Dutch East Indies = 7 , Mindanao, Philippines = 7 central Mid-Atlantic Ridge 8 = 9 , Northern Mariana Islands = 9 Wellington Region, North Island = 9 , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia = 9 , Samsun Province Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Amazonas Region 6.0 110.0 , Papua (province) 7.2 17.5 7.1 110.0 , Yunnan Province 6.3 35.0 90 people were killed and at least 1,001 were injured. Many homes collapsed. 90 1,001+

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands 6.9 135.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 35.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , eastern Sea of Japan 6.9 240.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.8 25.0 , Badakhshan Province 6.0 210.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , west of Mindoro 7.4 15.0 , Quetzaltenango Department 6.5 140.0 , off the south coast of Honshu 6.5 350.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Anzoátegui 6.0 35.0 , Manabí Province 7.8 20.0 The 1942 Ecuador earthquake killed 200 people. Property damage costs were $2.5 million (1942 rate) and many homes were destroyed. 200 , Cundinamarca Department 5.8 130.0 Some property damage was reported. , northern Sumatra 6.8 60.0 , south of Minahasa Peninsula 7.5 100.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Mindanao 6.3 15.0 , Northern Mariana Islands 7.0 15.0 , Kermadec Islands 6.8 285.0 Federated States of Micronesia 6.8 15.0 , Michoacán 6.8 100.0 Greece, Dodecanese 6.2 130.0 , Wellington Region, North Island 7.0 15.0 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes. , Valparaíso Region 6.9 95.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured 6.8 430.0 , Antofagasta Region 6.8 35.0 , Inner Mongolia 6.0 0.0 At least 51 people were killed, another 51 were injured and some homes were destroyed. 51+ 51+ , off the west coast of Samar, Philippines 6.4 55.0 , Ceram Sea, Dutch East Indies 6.7 35.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Wellington Region, North Island 6.8 35.0 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes. , off the west coast of 7.7 35.0 38 people were killed and major damage was caused due to the 1942 Guatemala earthquake. 38 , Suchitepéquez Department 6.5 35.0 , Ayacucho Region 8.1 30.0 The 1942 Peru earthquake caused the deaths of 30 people. 25 more were injured and many homes collapsed. 30 25 , Dibër County 6.0 33.0 43 people were killed and 110 injuries were reported. Many homes were destroyed. 43 110 , south of 6.8 570.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.9 80.0 , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 7.0 130.0 , off the east coast of Taiwan 6.3 10.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Ruvuma Region 6.8 60.0 , Mindanao, Philippines 7.2 35.0 , southern California 6.6 6.0 Some damage was reported. , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.6 35.0 , off the coast of Oaxaca 6.2 35.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , San Martin Region 6.8 130.0 , Flores, Dutch East Indies 6.8 80.0 Southwest Indian Ridge 8.0 10.0 This was one of the largest events to strike an ocean spreading ridge. , Oaxaca 6.1 60.0 Some damage was caused. , Balıkesir Province 6.1 0.0 16 people were killed and some damage was caused. Unknown depth. 16 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.7 15.0 , Çorum Province 0.0 0.0 17 people were killed and some damage was caused. Unknown depth and magnitude. 17 , Kuril Islands, Russia 7.4 65.0 central Mid-Atlantic Ridge 7.2 10.0 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.5 590.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Çorum Province 0.0 0.0 4 people were killed and major damage was caused. Magnitude and depth unknown. 4 , Cook Inlet, Alaska 6.5 100.0 , Amasya Province 0.0 0.0 Major damage was reported. Magnitude and depth unknown. , Izu Islands, Japan 6.7 20.0 , Samsun Province 7.0 10.0 The 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake caused around 1,000 deaths. Major damage was caused. 1,000 6.8 15.0 , Córdoba Department 6.5 35.0 , Split-Dalmatia County 6.0 15.0

References