Earthquakes in 1921
The USGS located 81 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1921, 61 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 4 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.8 71 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan, Nov 16, 1921.
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 1921 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1921, by magnitude.
- 7.871 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan · 240 km deepAfghanistan
- 7.6233 km S of Pundong, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.462 km E of Baculin, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.4103 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga · 15 km deepTonga
- 7.3130 km W of Puerto Nariño, Colombia · 540 km deepColombia
- 7.27 km SW of El Viejo, Nicaragua · 65 km deepNicaragua
- 7.132 km NE of Chajul, Guatemala · 15 km deepGuatemala
- 7.0143 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 7.084 km SE of Ishigaki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.9South Sandwich Islands region · 35 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.9119 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 6.834 km ESE of Santiago, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.8221 km WSW of Abepura, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.8179 km WNW of Abepura, Indonesia · 25 km deepIndonesia
- 6.768 km SE of Singkil, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.75 km SSW of Hastings, New Zealand · 25 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.620 km WNW of Zhicheng, China · 15 km deepChina
- 6.692 km WSW of Kamiiso, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.6249 km NW of Sabang, Indonesia · 20 km deepIndonesia
- 6.6Alamagan region, Northern Mariana Islands · 15 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 6.665 km WNW of Lautoka, Fiji · 15 km deepFiji
- 6.633 km SSW of Cuyutlán, Mexico · 15 km deepMexico
- 6.512 km S of Chiara, Peru · 15 km deepPeru
- 6.5211 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 6.5172 km ENE of Bontang, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1921 | 6 | 6.5 | 12 km S of Chiara, Peru |
| February 1921 | 7 | 7.4 | 103 km ESE of Neiafu, Tonga |
| March 1921 | 11 | 7.2 | 7 km SW of El Viejo, Nicaragua |
| April 1921 | 10 | 7.0 | 84 km SE of Ishigaki, Japan |
| May 1921 | 10 | 6.6 | 33 km SSW of Cuyutlán, Mexico |
| June 1921 | 5 | 6.7 | 5 km SSW of Hastings, New Zealand |
| July 1921 | 2 | 6.2 | 76 km NNE of Naze, Japan |
| August 1921 | 6 | 6.4 | 98 km NNW of Siglufjörður, Iceland |
| September 1921 | 11 | 7.6 | 233 km S of Pundong, Indonesia |
| October 1921 | 6 | 7.0 | 143 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu |
| November 1921 | 5 | 7.8 | 71 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan |
| December 1921 | 3 | 7.3 | 130 km W of Puerto Nariño, Colombia |
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.
- Japan11 in 1921
- Indonesia9 in 1921
- Russia7 in 1921
- Greece5 in 1921
- China4 in 1921
- Mexico3 in 1921
- Philippines3 in 1921
- Colombia2 in 1921
- Eritrea2 in 1921
- Fiji2 in 1921
- New Zealand2 in 1921
- North Macedonia2 in 1921
- Tonga2 in 1921
- Turkey2 in 1921
- Afghanistan1 in 1921
- Bangladesh1 in 1921
- Cyprus1 in 1921
- Guatemala1 in 1921
- Iceland1 in 1921
- Nicaragua1 in 1921
- Panama1 in 1921
- Papua New Guinea1 in 1921
- Peru1 in 1921
- Slovakia1 in 1921
- Solomon Islands1 in 1921
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands1 in 1921
- Vanuatu1 in 1921
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.