List of earthquakes in 1952

This is a list of earthquakes in 1952. 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. Two major earthquakes occurred in 1952; in March a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Japan resulting in a robust aftershock sequence. Then in November, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rocked the Kamchatka area of Russia, causing a major tsunami. This event was the largest and deadliest of the year; it was also one of the largest of all time.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , off the east coast of Kamchatka 2 , Erzurum Province 3 , eastern Xizang Province 4 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 5 , Adana Province 6 , Central California Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 2,336 , off the east coast of Kamchatka 2 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 3 , Central California 4 , eastern Xizang Province 5 , northeast of Mindanao = 6 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido = 6 , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea = 6 , Jujuy Province = 7 , Wetar, Barat Daya Islands = 7 , Kyoto Prefecture, Honshu = 7 , Nara Prefecture, Honshu = 7 , Solomon Islands Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Erzurum Province 5.7 20.0 103 people were killed and some damage was caused by the 1952 Hasankale earthquake. 103 , southeast of 6.7 20.0 , Piura Region 6.3 35.0 , Gansu Province 6.0 35.0 , south of 6.5 477.0 , off the coast of Chiapas 6.8 82.5 , Kigoma Region, Tanganyika 6.2 20.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Java Sea 6.9 675.1 , Wetar, Barat Daya Islands 7.0 25.0 6.5 41.8 , Puno Region 6.9 251.5 , Rivas Department 6.0 88.1

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the southwest coast 6.1 46.9 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 8.1 45.0 The 1952 Hokkaido earthquake caused major destruction mainly due to a tsunami affecting the area. 33 people were killed and 572 were injured. 2,422 homes were destroyed. 33 572 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 7.1 15.0 Aftershock. , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.3 12.4 Aftershock. , Solomon Islands 6.2 15.0 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.7 15.0 Aftershock. , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.4 16.0 Aftershock. , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.3 25.0 Aftershock. , southern Gulf of California 6.4 10.0 , off the coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, Honshu 6.5 10.0 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.0 30.0 Aftershock. , off the south coast of Hokkaido 6.9 49.5 Aftershock. 17 people were hurt and 113 homes collapsed. 17 , Southeastern Alaska 6.1 10.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.5 280.8 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.1 40.9 Aftershock. , southern Sumatra 6.3 15.0 , Pyongyang 6.3 35.0 , northeast of Mindanao 7.3 15.0 Some damage was caused. , Talaud Islands 6.2 25.0 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.0 35.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the northwest coast of Mindanao 6.3 35.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.3 15.0 , Talaud Islands 6.2 70.0 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 6.0 57.2 Aftershock of March 4 event. 6.5 395.0 , 6.5 28.2 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 6.2 65.0 Aftershock. , O'Higgins Region 6.0 50.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , south of 6.5 75.0 , Chiba Prefecture, Honshu 6.0 48.9 , Molucca Sea 6.6 101.4 , Kermadec Islands 6.8 390.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 7.1 79.5 , Guanacaste Province 6.4 35.0 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.2 30.0 Aftershock of March 4 event. , off the south coast 6.3 10.0 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.4 39.3 Aftershock of March 4 event. , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.5 30.0 Aftershock of March 4 event. , southeast of the Ryukyu Islands 6.2 30.2 , off the west coast of Hawaii (island), Hawaii 6.0 10.0 , off the coast of Tarapaca Region 6.0 25.0 , Batu Islands 6.6 30.0 , Arunachal Pradesh 6.0 20.0 , Kyoto Prefecture, Honshu 7.0 369.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the west coast 6.1 10.0 6.5 25.0 , San Juan Province, Argentina 6.5 25.0 1952 San Juan earthquake. , Banda Sea 6.1 25.0 , Yunnan Province 6.7 10.0 10 homes were destroyed. 6.6 15.0 , off the east coast 6.5 100.0 , Kuril Islands 6.8 27.0 , off the east coast 6.2 38.1 , western Sichuan Province 6.1 10.0 , Western Region, Uganda 6.5 15.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Coquimbo Region 6.1 35.0 6.5 685.6 , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 6.5 0.0 Unknown depth. Vanuatu 6.8 280.0 , east of Buru 6.5 25.0 Nara Prefecture, Honshu 7.0 80.0 , central California 7.5 6.0 The 1952 Kern County earthquake was the largest quake to strike the conterminous states in nearly 50 years. Many aftershocks followed including some damaging ones. 12 people were killed and at least 101 were injured. Damage costs reached $60 million (1952 rate). 12 101+ , Kermadec Islands 6.6 100.0 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.2 35.0 Aftershock of March 4 event. 6.9 502.2

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 48.3 6.5 603.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 35.0 , eastern Xizang Province 7.4 25.0 The 1952 Damxung earthquake left 54 people dead. 774 homes were destroyed. 54 , off the coast of Coquimbo Region 6.2 35.0 , central California 5.5 6.0 Aftershock of 1952 Kern County earthquake. 2 people were killed and at least 51 were injured. 90 homes were destroyed and damage costs were $10 million (1952 rate). 2 51+ , off the south coast of Hokkaido 6.1 63.9 Aftershock of March event.

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the west coast 6.7 15.0 , southern Qinghai Province 6.0 15.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 64.0 , Jujuy Province 7.1 268.0 , northern California 6.0 15.0 , northern Kuril Islands 6.2 60.0 , Sichuan Province 6.6 10.0 4,196 homes were destroyed.

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , northern Qinghai Province 6.1 15.0 , Shanxi Province 5.8 15.0 5,043 homes were destroyed. , Baluchistan, Pakistan 6.4 35.0 , north of New Britain, Papua and New Guinea 6.3 75.0 , Vanuatu 6.3 35.0 , Adana Province 5.7 15.0 20 people were killed and major damage was caused. 20 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.6 27.8 Series of earthquakes off the east coast of Honshu began with this event. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 27.7 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 25.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.3 24.2 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 22.5 , Grand'Anse (department) 6.2 25.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.3 15.0 6.5 135.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 20.0 , Sichuan Province 6.2 15.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured 6.9 170.7 , off the east coast of Kamchatka 9.0 21.6 One of the largest earthquakes of all time. The 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake triggered a major tsunami. Information on the disaster was sparse due to secrecy by the Soviet Union government. According to the government, out of 6,000 people, 2,336 people died. Major damage was caused in the area. Hawaii saw some damage from the waves. Many aftershocks followed but to prevent cluttering only magnitude 6.5 or greater ones are included. 2,336 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 52.1 , Gulf of California 6.3 15.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 35.0 , off the west coast 6.3 35.0 , central California 6.2 6.0 , southeast of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 107.1 , south of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.8 20.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Solomon Islands 7.0 15.0 , Near Islands, Alaska 6.5 35.0 , Yunnan Province 6.2 15.0 60 homes were destroyed. , south of Crete 6.5 25.0 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 45.0 Foreshock. , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 21.2 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.4 35.0 Aftershock. , East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea 6.2 35.0 Aftershock. , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 45.0 Aftershock. , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 30.0 Aftershock. , Punjab, Pakistan 6.2 10.0 , east of Vanuatu 6.5 33.0 , southeast of Mindanao 6.5 35.0 6.5 481.3 , north of Crete 6.0 0.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. Unknown depth. , north of Crete 6.0 0.0

Kamchatka aftershock table

Date (YYYY-MM-DD) Time (UTC) Location Depth Magnitude 1952-11-04 20:48:52 northern Kuril Islands 6.9 1952-11-04 22:13:04 off east coast of Kamchatka 6.5 1952-11-04 22:19:28 off east coast of Kamchatka 6.7 1952-11-05 05:57:53 northern Kuril Islands 6.5 1952-11-05 13:06:31 off the east coast of Kamchatka 6.5 1952-11-06 19:46:06 off the east coast of Kamchatka 6.6 1952-11-07 14:08:36 northern Kuril Islands 6.5 1952-11-08 19:33:25 east of Kuril Islands 6.5 1952-11-13 07:58:54 northern Kuril Islands 6.5 1952-11-29 08:22:43 off the east coast of Kamchatka 6.7

References