Earthquakes in 1930
The USGS located 293 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1930, 97 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 40 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.5 36 km SSW of Pyu, Myanmar, Dec 4, 1930.
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 1930 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1930, by magnitude.
- 7.536 km SSW of Pyu, Myanmar · 10 km deepMyanmar
- 7.441 km SW of Nyaunglebin, Myanmar · 35 km deepMyanmar
- 7.2Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands · 25 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 7.110 km SSW of Salm?s, Iran · 15 km deepIran
- 7.0141 km ENE of Sorong, Indonesia · 25 km deepIndonesia
- 7.028 km SSW of Lakhipur, India · 15 km deepIndia
- 7.043 km WSW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.9South Sandwich Islands region · 35 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.95 km WSW of Atami, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.984 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste · 10 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.88 km NNW of Moyuta, Guatemala · 15 km deepGuatemala
- 6.750 km ESE of Yilan, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 6.7275 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 35 km deepAlaska
- 6.7129 km ENE of Myitkyina, Myanmar · 15 km deepMyanmar
- 6.63 km SSW of Bisaccia Nuova, Italy · 15 km deepItaly
- 6.691 km SSW of Santiago, Peru · 15 km deepPeru
- 6.6208 km W of Abepura, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
- 6.6129 km E of Sola, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 6.6near the north coast of New Guinea, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.5South Sandwich Islands region · 10 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.5200 km S of Jiuquan, China · 10 km deepChina
- 6.5173 km ENE of Atka, Alaska · 80 km deepAlaska
- 6.562 km S of Kirakira, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.5Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands · 25 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 6.5233 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1930 | 17 | 6.3 | 104 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
| February 1930 | 19 | 6.5 | Tonga |
| March 1930 | 26 | 6.9 | 84 km N of Metinaro, Timor Leste |
| April 1930 | 30 | 6.7 | 275 km WSW of Adak, Alaska |
| May 1930 | 42 | 7.4 | 41 km SW of Nyaunglebin, Myanmar |
| June 1930 | 18 | 7.0 | 43 km WSW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea |
| July 1930 | 24 | 7.0 | 28 km SSW of Lakhipur, India |
| August 1930 | 20 | 6.9 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| September 1930 | 28 | 6.7 | 129 km ENE of Myitkyina, Myanmar |
| October 1930 | 31 | 7.2 | Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands |
| November 1930 | 16 | 7.0 | 141 km ENE of Sorong, Indonesia |
| December 1930 | 25 | 7.5 | 36 km SSW of Pyu, Myanmar |
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.
- Iran26 in 1930
- Japan17 in 1930
- Indonesia15 in 1930
- Myanmar14 in 1930
- China12 in 1930
- Greece12 in 1930
- Papua New Guinea12 in 1930
- Taiwan9 in 1930
- India8 in 1930
- Russia8 in 1930
- Philippines7 in 1930
- Vanuatu7 in 1930
- Italy5 in 1930
- Mexico5 in 1930
- Solomon Islands5 in 1930
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands5 in 1930
- Turkey5 in 1930
- New Zealand4 in 1930
- Tajikistan4 in 1930
- Tonga4 in 1930
- Argentina3 in 1930
- Canada3 in 1930
- Guatemala3 in 1930
- Timor Leste3 in 1930
- Armenia2 in 1930
- Azerbaijan2 in 1930
- Chile2 in 1930
- Cyprus2 in 1930
- Micronesia2 in 1930
- Morocco2 in 1930
- Panama2 in 1930
- Peru2 in 1930
- Somalia2 in 1930
- Albania1 in 1930
- Austria1 in 1930
- Colombia1 in 1930
- Djibouti1 in 1930
- Ethiopia1 in 1930
- Fiji1 in 1930
- Iraq1 in 1930
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1930
- Mongolia1 in 1930
- New Caledonia1 in 1930
- Nicaragua1 in 1930
- Pakistan1 in 1930
- Palau1 in 1930
- Portugal1 in 1930
- Saint Helena1 in 1930
- Slovakia1 in 1930
- Spain1 in 1930
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1930
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1930
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.