Earthquakes in 1919
The USGS located 112 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1919, 90 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 8 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.2 1919 Papua New Guinea Earthquake, May 7, 1919.
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 1919 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1919, by magnitude.
- 8.21919 Papua New Guinea Earthquake · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 8.11919 Tonga Earthquake · 25 km deepTonga
- 7.8Fiji region · 485 km deepFiji
- 7.7277 km SSE of Kushiro, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.4122 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan · 20 km deepTaiwan
- 7.3Off the coast of Los Lagos, Chile · 15 km deepChile
- 7.222 km ESE of Bobon, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 7.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 35 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.213 km ENE of Trevelin, Argentina · 15 km deepArgentina
- 7.03 km ESE of Soma, Turkey · 10 km deepTurkey
- 7.0114 km NW of Ambon, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.017 km SSW of Sumbawanga, Tanzania · 15 km deepTanzania
- 7.031 km SE of Champerico, Guatemala · 35 km deepGuatemala
- 6.867 km NW of Ancud, Chile · 15 km deepChile
- 6.8central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 10 km deep
- 6.8134 km S of Hualien City, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 6.811 km NNE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.7158 km SW of Tual, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.740 km W of Cabittaogan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.7Santa Cruz Islands · 60 km deep
- 6.745 km SW of Saysain, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.796 km SW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.7103 km SSW of Atico, Peru · 30 km deepPeru
- 6.733 km SW of Kashgar, China · 20 km deepChina
- 6.7100 km SSW of Intipucá, El Salvador · 20 km deepEl Salvador
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1919 | 7 | 7.8 | Fiji region |
| February 1919 | 7 | 6.3 | east of the Kuril Islands |
| March 1919 | 8 | 7.3 | Off the coast of Los Lagos, Chile |
| April 1919 | 13 | 8.1 | 1919 Tonga Earthquake |
| May 1919 | 13 | 8.2 | 1919 Papua New Guinea Earthquake |
| June 1919 | 7 | 6.7 | 100 km SSW of Intipucá, El Salvador |
| July 1919 | 12 | 7.0 | 17 km SSW of Sumbawanga, Tanzania |
| August 1919 | 7 | 7.0 | 114 km NW of Ambon, Indonesia |
| September 1919 | 12 | 6.7 | 40 km W of Cabittaogan, Philippines |
| October 1919 | 13 | 6.5 | 104 km WSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia |
| November 1919 | 8 | 7.0 | 3 km ESE of Soma, Turkey |
| December 1919 | 5 | 7.4 | 122 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan |
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.
- Indonesia7 in 1919
- Philippines7 in 1919
- Greece6 in 1919
- Japan6 in 1919
- Papua New Guinea5 in 1919
- Turkey5 in 1919
- Italy4 in 1919
- Mexico4 in 1919
- Chile3 in 1919
- China3 in 1919
- Spain3 in 1919
- Taiwan3 in 1919
- Tonga3 in 1919
- El Salvador2 in 1919
- Fiji2 in 1919
- Guatemala2 in 1919
- New Zealand2 in 1919
- Pakistan2 in 1919
- Russia2 in 1919
- Argentina1 in 1919
- Barbados1 in 1919
- Canada1 in 1919
- Ethiopia1 in 1919
- Madagascar1 in 1919
- Micronesia1 in 1919
- Nicaragua1 in 1919
- Palau1 in 1919
- Peru1 in 1919
- Romania1 in 1919
- Samoa1 in 1919
- Solomon Islands1 in 1919
- South Africa1 in 1919
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1919
- Tanzania1 in 1919
- Ukraine1 in 1919
- Vanuatu1 in 1919
- Venezuela1 in 1919
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1919
- Zambia1 in 1919
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.