This is a list of earthquakes in 1962. 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. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. The year was characterized by fairly moderate activity. The largest of 10 magnitude 7.0 + earthquakes measured 7.5 and struck Fiji. Iran had the deadliest event with over 12,000 deaths in September. Apart from this there was few other deaths from earthquakes. Colombia had the most with 47 in July.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Qazvin Province 2 , Choco Department 3 , Campania 4 , Fier County Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Fiji = 2 northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge = 2 , off the east coast of Honshu = 3 , south of = 3 , Santiago del Estero Province = 4 , Araucania Region = 4 , off the east coast of Hokkaido = 4 , Barat Daya Islands = 5 , Guerrero = 5 , Qazvin Province Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the south coast of Honshu 6.2 50.0 , off the west coast of Sumatra 6.0 30.1 , Dalmatia, Croatia 6.2 15.0 In the first of the 1962 Makarska earthquakes, 4 people were killed and some damage was caused. A few days later another event struck in an example of a doublet earthquake. 4 , Peravia Province 6.5 35.6 , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.0 49.0 , Dalmatia, Croatia 6.2 15.0 In the second of the 1962 Makarska earthquakes, 2 people died and 2,290 homes collapsed. 1 , Makira, Solomon Islands 6.0 45.0 , southwest of Crete 6.0 25.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast of Papua (province) 6.3 23.0 , Araucania Region 7.1 30.0 Some damage was caused. , off the southeast coast of Hokkaido 6.1 50.7 , Kachin State 6.3 35.0 , Bio-Bio Region 6.2 25.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Northern Mariana Islands 6.9 635.0 , east of Mindanao 6.3 44.6 , south of 6.5 25.0 Some damage was caused. northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge 7.3 10.0 , Vanuatu 6.0 15.0 , Fier County 6.1 26.4 15 people were killed and some damage was caused. 15 , Guangdong Province 6.0 15.0 1 person was killed and another 2 were injured. 1,200 homes were destroyed. 1 2 , Gulf of Tomini 6.0 145.3 , off the north coast of Papua and New Guinea 6.4 35.0 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.0 117.8 , off the coast of Los Lagos Region 6.2 30.9

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , South Khorasan Province 5.8 15.0 5 people were killed and some damage was reported. 5 , Ionian Sea 6.2 15.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 7.3 28.0 , off the coast of northern 6.4 49.4 9 people were killed and some damage was caused. 9 , Sakha Republic, Russia 6.0 15.0 , north of 6.6 25.0 , Yunnan Province 6.0 0.0 Some damage was caused. Unknown depth. , off the east coast of Hokkaido 7.1 60.0 , Miyagi Prefecture, Honshu 6.1 15.0 1 person was killed and at least 101 were injured. Some damage was caused. 1 101+

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.5 25.0 , West Coast, New Zealand 6.0 25.0 , Guerrero 7.0 25.0 4 people were killed and at least 101 were injured. Some homes were destroyed. 4 101+ , Barat Daya Islands 7.1 30.2 , Guerrero 6.8 25.0 Large aftershock of previous event from May 11. 3 people were killed and 16 were injured in this event. Some homes collapsed. 3 16 , northern Qinghai Province 6.6 17.0 A few homes were damaged or destroyed. , Fiji 7.5 390.0 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands 6.6 114.4 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 15.0 , Volcano Islands 6.6 269.1

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.9 15.0 Major property damage was caused with costs being $40 million (1962 rate). , Ryukyu Islands 6.5 23.0 , Yunnan Province 6.0 15.0 2,550 homes were destroyed. , east of 6.4 35.0 , Hawaii (island), Hawaii 6.2 8.9

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands 6.2 104.3 , Badakhshan Province 6.7 216.2 , off the east coast of Hokkaido 6.0 49.9 , south of Cayman Islands 6.1 20.0 , south of 7.2 25.0 Some damage was caused. , off the north coast of Papua and New Guinea 6.6 25.0 , Choco Department 6.5 64.0 47 people were killed and 300 were injured. Major damage was caused. 47 300

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast of Papua and New Guinea 6.3 25.0 , Antofagasta Region 6.8 124.8 , northeast of 6.5 128.8 , southwest of Panay 6.0 20.0 , northern Xinjiang Province 6.3 33.2 Some homes were destroyed. Italy, Campania 6.2 20.0 The 1962 Irpinia earthquake killed at least 16 people and caused damage. 16 , off the south coast of Honshu 6.0 15.0 , Peloponnese (region) 6.1 110.2 1 person was killed and some damage was caused. 1 , northern Utah 5.9 10.0 Some damage was caused in the 1962 Cache Valley earthquake. Damage costs were $1 million (1962 rate).

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Qazvin Province 7.0 15.0 The 1962 Buin Zahra earthquake left 12,225 people dead and another 2,776 injured. Major property damage was caused with costs of $30 million (1962 rate). 21,310 homes were destroyed. 12,225 2,776 , Fiji 6.5 630.6 , Baghlan Province 6.3 35.0 , south of 6.8 30.0 , Kachin State 6.1 25.0 , southeast of Hokkaido 6.0 30.0 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.4 573.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 6.3 60.0 , Vanuatu 6.0 35.0 Aftershock. , Vanuatu 6.0 35.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of 6.5 35.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Hormozgan Province 5.7 15.0 Some damage was caused. , Andaman Islands 6.2 27.0 , Vanuatu 6.2 35.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , west of the Izu Islands 6.6 431.2 6.2 39.4 , Santiago del Estero Province 7.2 588.7 , Ningxia Province 5.7 20.0 A few homes collapsed. , south of Java 6.2 55.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.4 20.6 Series. , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.5 25.0 Series. , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.5 33.3 Series. , Commander Islands, Russia 6.7 22.8 , Tarapaca Region 6.2 50.0

References