Earthquakes in 1909
The USGS located 65 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1909, 44 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 21 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.7 52 km ESE of Farkhār, Afghanistan, Jul 8, 1909.
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 1909 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1909, by magnitude.
- 7.752 km ESE of Farkhār, Afghanistan · 200 km deepAfghanistan
- 7.6178 km E of Levuka, Fiji · 550 km deepFiji
- 7.676 km SSW of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 7.518 km SE of Honmachi, Japan · 140 km deepJapan
- 7.527 km SSE of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), Mexico · 20 km deepMexico
- 7.550 km WNW of Diego de Almagro, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.343 km NW of Delījān, Iran · 15 km deepIran
- 7.258 km SW of Bhag, Pakistan · 15 km deepPakistan
- 7.1150 km ESE of Hasaki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.166 km SSW of Nuxco, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 7.165 km ENE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.084 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.082 km ENE of Hasaki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.098 km SSE of Inarajan Village, Guam · 15 km deepGuam
- 7.0167 km WSW of Attu Station, Alaska · 35 km deepAlaska
- 7.069 km NW of Camargo, Bolivia · 255 km deepBolivia
- 7.046 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 7.0off the coast of Central America · 16 km deep
- 6.923 km SSE of Ono, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.9Banda Sea · 150 km deep
- 6.944 km SSE of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), Mexico · 15 km deepMexico
- 6.8287 km N of Puerto Villamil, Ecuador · 10 km deepEcuador
- 6.813 km ENE of Hualien City, Taiwan · 35 km deepTaiwan
- 6.84 km S of Sola, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 6.8109 km WSW of Luwuk, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1909 | 5 | 7.3 | 43 km NW of Delījān, Iran |
| February 1909 | 5 | 7.6 | 178 km E of Levuka, Fiji |
| March 1909 | 7 | 7.1 | 150 km ESE of Hasaki, Japan |
| April 1909 | 9 | 7.1 | 65 km ENE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea |
| May 1909 | 4 | 7.0 | 69 km NW of Camargo, Bolivia |
| June 1909 | 7 | 7.6 | 76 km SSW of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia |
| July 1909 | 7 | 7.7 | 52 km ESE of Farkhār, Afghanistan |
| August 1909 | 7 | 7.0 | off the coast of Central America |
| September 1909 | 5 | 6.6 | 24 km S of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan |
| October 1909 | 9 | 7.2 | 58 km SW of Bhag, Pakistan |
| November 1909 | 3 | 7.5 | 18 km SE of Honmachi, Japan |
| December 1909 | 2 | 7.0 | 84 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands |
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 1909
- Indonesia3 in 1909
- Italy3 in 1909
- Mexico3 in 1909
- Turkey3 in 1909
- Greece2 in 1909
- Taiwan2 in 1909
- Vanuatu2 in 1909
- Afghanistan1 in 1909
- Bolivia1 in 1909
- Bulgaria1 in 1909
- Chile1 in 1909
- Croatia1 in 1909
- Ecuador1 in 1909
- Fiji1 in 1909
- France1 in 1909
- Iran1 in 1909
- New Caledonia1 in 1909
- Pakistan1 in 1909
- Papua New Guinea1 in 1909
- Portugal1 in 1909
- Russia1 in 1909
- Solomon Islands1 in 1909
- Timor Leste1 in 1909
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.