Earthquakes in 1918
The USGS located 135 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1918, 94 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 20 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.3 1918 Mindanao, Philippines Earthquake, Aug 15, 1918.
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 1918 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1918, by magnitude.
- 8.31918 Mindanao, Philippines Earthquake · 20 km deepPhilippines
- 8.11918 Kuril Islands Earthquake · 15 km deep
- 8.060 km W of Diego de Almagro, Chile · 40 km deepChile
- 7.8east of the Kuril Islands · 15 km deep
- 7.650 km N of Wewak, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.47 km S of Huanggang, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.3central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 15 km deep
- 7.2185 km NW of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.124 km N of Kishorganj, Bangladesh · 15 km deepBangladesh
- 7.124 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico · 15 km deepPuerto Rico
- 7.1northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 10 km deep
- 7.041 km SSW of Heroica Guaymas, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 7.0241 km NNE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.932 km SW of Vernon, Canada · 15 km deepCanada
- 6.9103 km NNW of Coquimbo, Chile · 20 km deepChile
- 6.94 km ESE of Panikian, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.896 km W of Lata, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.853 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.8southeast central Pacific Ocean · 10 km deep
- 6.8Banda Sea · 15 km deep
- 6.819 km ENE of Aras-asan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.737 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 6.760 km NNE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.783 km NE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.7Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 15 km deepNew Zealand
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1918 | 8 | 6.4 | 1 km ESE of Morazán, Guatemala |
| February 1918 | 9 | 7.4 | 7 km S of Huanggang, China |
| March 1918 | 5 | 6.5 | 201 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands |
| April 1918 | 8 | 6.7 | The 1918 San Jacinto, California Earthquake |
| May 1918 | 9 | 7.3 | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| June 1918 | 16 | 6.7 | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| July 1918 | 14 | 7.6 | 50 km N of Wewak, Papua New Guinea |
| August 1918 | 17 | 8.3 | 1918 Mindanao, Philippines Earthquake |
| September 1918 | 15 | 8.1 | 1918 Kuril Islands Earthquake |
| October 1918 | 12 | 7.2 | 185 km NW of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea |
| November 1918 | 14 | 7.8 | east of the Kuril Islands |
| December 1918 | 10 | 8.0 | 60 km W of Diego de Almagro, Chile |
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.
- Papua New Guinea12 in 1918
- Philippines9 in 1918
- Greece8 in 1918
- Indonesia7 in 1918
- Turkey7 in 1918
- Italy4 in 1918
- Japan4 in 1918
- Russia4 in 1918
- Solomon Islands4 in 1918
- Vanuatu4 in 1918
- Chile3 in 1918
- China3 in 1918
- Mexico3 in 1918
- Taiwan3 in 1918
- Canada2 in 1918
- Colombia2 in 1918
- Guatemala2 in 1918
- Saint Helena2 in 1918
- Albania1 in 1918
- Anguilla1 in 1918
- Argentina1 in 1918
- Bangladesh1 in 1918
- Comoros1 in 1918
- Costa Rica1 in 1918
- El Salvador1 in 1918
- France1 in 1918
- Honduras1 in 1918
- Iran1 in 1918
- Myanmar1 in 1918
- Nepal1 in 1918
- New Zealand1 in 1918
- Nicaragua1 in 1918
- Panama1 in 1918
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1918
- Syria1 in 1918
- Tajikistan1 in 1918
- Tonga1 in 1918
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1918
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.