Earthquakes in 1923
The USGS located 130 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1923, 93 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 14 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.4 1923 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake, Feb 4, 1923.
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 1923 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1923, by magnitude.
- 8.41923 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake · 15 km deepRussia
- 8.05 km SSE of ?iso, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.85 km E of Tateyama, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.4193 km W of Sorong, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.497 km SSE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 7.422 km N of Nishinoomote, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.377 km ESE of Mil’kovo, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 7.3163 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 7.399 km E of Lashio, Myanmar · 25 km deepMyanmar
- 7.264 km ENE of Hasaki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.2101 km NE of Naze, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.25 km NW of Kadingilan, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.1The 1923 Humboldt County, California Earthquake · 15 km deepCalifornia
- 7.0113 km ESE of Chignik, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.0184 km NW of Kangding, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.069 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.093 km NNE of Naze, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.03 km ENE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 7.070 km WNW of Naha, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 7.0204 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 30 km deepNew Caledonia
- 6.99 km NNE of Netrakona, Bangladesh · 15 km deepBangladesh
- 6.9112 km ESE of Tarragona, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.9171 km WNW of Neiafu, Tonga · 15 km deepTonga
- 6.8148 km SE of Katsuren-haebaru, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.887 km SSW of Tarakan, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1923 | 4 | 7.1 | The 1923 Humboldt County, California Earthquake |
| February 1923 | 13 | 8.4 | 1923 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake |
| March 1923 | 8 | 7.2 | 5 km NW of Kadingilan, Philippines |
| April 1923 | 7 | 7.0 | 3 km ENE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia |
| May 1923 | 12 | 7.0 | 113 km ESE of Chignik, Alaska |
| June 1923 | 8 | 7.3 | 99 km E of Lashio, Myanmar |
| July 1923 | 17 | 7.4 | 22 km N of Nishinoomote, Japan |
| August 1923 | 12 | 6.8 | 148 km SE of Katsuren-haebaru, Japan |
| September 1923 | 20 | 8.0 | 5 km SSE of ?iso, Japan |
| October 1923 | 8 | 7.4 | 193 km W of Sorong, Indonesia |
| November 1923 | 14 | 7.2 | 101 km NE of Naze, Japan |
| December 1923 | 7 | 6.6 | 28 km E of Poso, Indonesia |
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.
- Japan23 in 1923
- Russia13 in 1923
- Indonesia8 in 1923
- Greece7 in 1923
- Iran5 in 1923
- Chile4 in 1923
- Philippines4 in 1923
- China3 in 1923
- Mexico3 in 1923
- Fiji2 in 1923
- Myanmar2 in 1923
- Papua New Guinea2 in 1923
- Spain2 in 1923
- Turkey2 in 1923
- Bangladesh1 in 1923
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1923
- Colombia1 in 1923
- Ecuador1 in 1923
- Italy1 in 1923
- Libya1 in 1923
- Malaysia1 in 1923
- Mongolia1 in 1923
- Morocco1 in 1923
- New Caledonia1 in 1923
- Pakistan1 in 1923
- Saint Helena1 in 1923
- Somalia1 in 1923
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands1 in 1923
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1923
- Taiwan1 in 1923
- Tajikistan1 in 1923
- Timor Leste1 in 1923
- Tonga1 in 1923
- Vanuatu1 in 1923
- Venezuela1 in 1923
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.