Earthquakes in 1900
The USGS located 14 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1900, 13 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 4 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.9 Kodiak Island region, Alaska, Oct 9, 1900.
From the USGS catalog. Magnitude 4.5 and up worldwide, and 2.5 and up in the United States. Times are local to each quake.
Map
Where the largest earthquakes of 1900 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 16 largest of 1900, by magnitude.
- 7.9Kodiak Island region, Alaska · 20 km deepAlaska
- 7.7Near the coast of VenezuelaVenezuela
- 7.6Santa Cruz Islands
- 7.5Sea of Okhotsk · 450 km deep
- 7.3Jalisco, MexicoMexico
- 7.2Costa RicaCosta Rica
- 7.1Off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.1Bismarck SeaPapua New Guinea
- 7.0Kuril Islands · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.0Near the coast of El SalvadorEl Salvador
- 7.0Northern Honshu, Japan · 5 km deepJapan
- 7.0Bismarck SeaPapua New Guinea
- 7.0Southern Sumatra, IndonesiaIndonesia
- 4.5Near Aromas, CaliforniaCalifornia
- 4.4Near Eureka, UtahUtah
- 3.5Near Jacksonville, FloridaFlorida
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1900 | 4 | 7.5 | Sea of Okhotsk |
| February 1900 | 0 | ||
| March 1900 | 0 | ||
| April 1900 | 1 | 4.5 | Near Aromas, California |
| May 1900 | 1 | 7.0 | Northern Honshu, Japan |
| June 1900 | 1 | 7.2 | Costa Rica |
| July 1900 | 1 | 7.6 | Santa Cruz Islands |
| August 1900 | 1 | 4.4 | Near Eureka, Utah |
| September 1900 | 1 | 7.1 | Bismarck Sea |
| October 1900 | 3 | 7.9 | Kodiak Island region, Alaska |
| November 1900 | 2 | 7.0 | Kuril Islands |
| December 1900 | 1 | 7.1 | Off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan |
By state
Where the year’s United States quakes of magnitude 2.5 and up were located. A state with none that year is not listed.
By country
Where the year’s quakes of magnitude 4.5 and up were located. Quakes at sea, away from any country, are not counted here.
What this means
The catalog is only as complete as the instruments of the time. Worldwide coverage of magnitude 5 and up dates from the 1960s, and of 4.5 from the 1990s; earlier years hold the large quakes and the ones near a station, so a low count in an early year means fewer instruments, not a quiet earth.
By year
Every year the USGS catalog covers.
- 2020s2020202120222023202420252026
- 2010s2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
- 2000s2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
- 1990s1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
- 1980s1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
- 1970s1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
- 1960s1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
- 1950s1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
- 1940s1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
- 1930s1930193119321933193419351936193719381939
- 1920s1920192119221923192419251926192719281929
- 1910s1910191119121913191419151916191719181919
- 1900s1900190119021903190419051906190719081909
Sources
Earthquakes, magnitudes, depths, shaking estimates and felt reports from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, read from its live feeds and its catalog back to 1900. Tsunami messages from NOAA’s tsunami warning centers.