Earthquakes in 1906
The USGS located 97 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1906, 78 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 25 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.8 1906 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake, Jan 31, 1906.
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 1906 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1906, by magnitude.
- 8.81906 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake · 20 km deepColombia
- 8.31906 Western Aleutian Islands (Hawadax/Rat Islands) Earthquake · 110 km deepAlaska
- 8.2The 1906 Valparaiso, Chile Earthquake · 35 km deepChile
- 8.01906 Papua New Guinea Earthquake · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 8.095 km WSW of Shihezi, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.9The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake · 12 km deepCalifornia
- 7.8230 km W of Abepura, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 7.638 km NW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.516 km W of Barranca, Peru · 100 km deepPeru
- 7.450 km SSW of Ōyama, Japan · 300 km deepJapan
- 7.4northwest of Australia · 10 km deepAustralia
- 7.341 km ESE of Malango, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.3190 km SE of Hasaki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.361 km NNW of La Paz, Mexico · 15 km deepMexico
- 7.2108 km SE of Neiafu, Tonga · 35 km deepTonga
- 7.2southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 35 km deep
- 7.245 km W of Saint-Pierre, Martinique · 130 km deepMartinique
- 7.1132 km NNE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.1southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 35 km deep
- 7.124 km SSW of Tirmiz, Uzbekistan · 35 km deepUzbekistan
- 7.171 km NE of San Vicente, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.0153 km SE of Halibut Cove, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 7.012 km N of Pizitou, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 6.9182 km SSE of Atka, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.925 km ENE of Arica, Chile · 60 km deepChile
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1906 | 9 | 8.8 | 1906 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake |
| February 1906 | 6 | 7.3 | 41 km ESE of Malango, Solomon Islands |
| March 1906 | 12 | 6.9 | 10 km NE of Pizitou, Taiwan |
| April 1906 | 11 | 7.9 | The 1906 San Francisco, California Earthquake |
| May 1906 | 11 | 6.5 | 10 km S of Mokokchūng, India |
| June 1906 | 7 | 7.8 | 230 km W of Abepura, Indonesia |
| July 1906 | 6 | 6.7 | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| August 1906 | 10 | 8.3 | 1906 Western Aleutian Islands (Hawadax/Rat Islands) Earthquake |
| September 1906 | 5 | 8.0 | 1906 Papua New Guinea Earthquake |
| October 1906 | 12 | 7.6 | 38 km NW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea |
| November 1906 | 7 | 7.4 | northwest of Australia |
| December 1906 | 10 | 8.0 | 95 km WSW of Shihezi, China |
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.
- Japan10 in 1906
- Chile6 in 1906
- India4 in 1906
- Indonesia4 in 1906
- Papua New Guinea4 in 1906
- Philippines4 in 1906
- Russia4 in 1906
- Taiwan4 in 1906
- China3 in 1906
- Greece3 in 1906
- Australia2 in 1906
- Ethiopia2 in 1906
- Mexico2 in 1906
- Peru2 in 1906
- Tonga2 in 1906
- Anguilla1 in 1906
- Azerbaijan1 in 1906
- Canada1 in 1906
- Colombia1 in 1906
- Croatia1 in 1906
- Martinique1 in 1906
- Myanmar1 in 1906
- Nicaragua1 in 1906
- Panama1 in 1906
- Slovakia1 in 1906
- Solomon Islands1 in 1906
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1906
- Uzbekistan1 in 1906
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.