Earthquakes in 1908
The USGS located 39 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1908, 30 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 11 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.5 6 km S of Copala, Mexico, Mar 26, 1908.
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 1908 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1908, by magnitude.
- 7.56 km S of Copala, Mexico · 25 km deepMexico
- 7.4Falkland Islands region · 10 km deepFalkland Islands
- 7.3108 km SE of Tondano, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 7.2159 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 7.2108 km E of Hengchun, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 7.264 km NNE of Sarupathar, India · 15 km deepIndia
- 7.215 km SSW of Colonia Luces en el Mar, Mexico · 25 km deepMexico
- 7.15 km N of Capoocan, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.1The 1908 Messina, Italy Earthquake and Tsunami · 15 km deepItaly
- 7.0246 km NNW of Rikaze, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.074 km NE of Bāzārak, Afghanistan · 220 km deepAfghanistan
- 6.9127 km E of Khorugh, Tajikistan · 220 km deepTajikistan
- 6.8143 km WSW of Kangding, China · 15 km deepChina
- 6.870 km E of Namie, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 6.860 km W of Sinabang, Indonesia · 25 km deepIndonesia
- 6.811 km WSW of Ainaro, Timor Leste · 35 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.711 km SSE of Hacienda de Cabañas, Mexico · 35 km deepMexico
- 6.7117 km W of Yakutat, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.7Southwest Indian Ridge · 10 km deep
- 6.7Island of Hawai`i, HawaiiHawaii
- 6.741 km SE of Vrangel’, Russia · 470 km deepRussia
- 6.7170 km E of Hadibu, Yemen · 10 km deepYemen
- 6.6north of Svalbard · 10 km deepSvalbard and Jan Mayen
- 6.611 km E of Ghelinţa, Romania · 130 km deepRomania
- 6.629 km SE of Jurm, Afghanistan · 190 km deepAfghanistan
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1908 | 3 | 7.2 | 108 km E of Hengchun, Taiwan |
| February 1908 | 3 | 6.8 | 143 km WSW of Kangding, China |
| March 1908 | 5 | 7.5 | 6 km S of Copala, Mexico |
| April 1908 | 4 | 6.7 | Southwest Indian Ridge |
| May 1908 | 5 | 7.3 | 108 km SE of Tondano, Indonesia |
| June 1908 | 3 | 5.5 | 9 km NNW of Amorgós, Greece |
| July 1908 | 2 | 5.3 | 1 km NNE of Chiusaforte, Italy |
| August 1908 | 5 | 7.4 | Falkland Islands region |
| September 1908 | 2 | 6.7 | Island of Hawai`i, Hawaii |
| October 1908 | 6 | 7.0 | 74 km NE of Bāzārak, Afghanistan |
| November 1908 | 3 | 7.2 | 159 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia |
| December 1908 | 3 | 7.2 | 64 km NNE of Sarupathar, India |
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.
- Greece4 in 1908
- Afghanistan3 in 1908
- Italy3 in 1908
- Mexico3 in 1908
- Russia3 in 1908
- China2 in 1908
- Indonesia2 in 1908
- Algeria1 in 1908
- Falkland Islands1 in 1908
- India1 in 1908
- Japan1 in 1908
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1908
- Philippines1 in 1908
- Romania1 in 1908
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1908
- Taiwan1 in 1908
- Tajikistan1 in 1908
- Timor Leste1 in 1908
- Yemen1 in 1908
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.