Earthquakes in 1933
The USGS located 312 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1933, 101 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 601 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.4 1933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan, Mar 3, 1933.
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 1933 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1933, by magnitude.
- 8.41933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.548 km SW of Kotabumi, Indonesia · 20 km deepIndonesia
- 7.5South Sandwich Islands region · 35 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 7.4Baffin Bay · 15 km deep
- 7.4101 km WNW of Jiangyou, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.334 km S of Iquique, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.3110 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan · 30 km deepJapan
- 7.1Southwest Indian Ridge · 10 km deep
- 6.8Southern Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.8southern Xinjiang, China · 10 km deepChina
- 6.838 km NNW of Hualien City, Taiwan · 35 km deepTaiwan
- 6.846 km SW of Paján, Ecuador · 15 km deepEcuador
- 6.846 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska · 30 km deepAlaska
- 6.7195 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 6.7160 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.714 km N of San Luis de La Loma, Mexico · 30 km deepMexico
- 6.7154 km E of Yamada, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.753 km SSW of El Colomo, Mexico · 20 km deepMexico
- 6.7north of Ascension Island · 10 km deepSaint Helena
- 6.6141 km SE of Atlasovo, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 6.6east of the South Sandwich Islands · 10 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.6104 km E of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.6184 km ENE of Miyako, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.6South Shetland Islands · 10 km deep
- 6.679 km E of Hihifo, Tonga · 25 km deepTonga
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1933 | 41 | 7.1 | Southwest Indian Ridge |
| February 1933 | 23 | 7.3 | 34 km S of Iquique, Chile |
| March 1933 | 237 | 8.4 | 1933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan |
| April 1933 | 47 | 6.8 | Southern Alaska |
| May 1933 | 84 | 6.7 | 14 km N of San Luis de La Loma, Mexico |
| June 1933 | 67 | 7.5 | 48 km SW of Kotabumi, Indonesia |
| July 1933 | 69 | 6.8 | 46 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska |
| August 1933 | 57 | 7.5 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| September 1933 | 44 | 6.8 | southern Xinjiang, China |
| October 1933 | 84 | 6.8 | 46 km SW of Paján, Ecuador |
| November 1933 | 42 | 7.4 | Baffin Bay |
| December 1933 | 34 | 6.7 | 53 km SSW of El Colomo, Mexico |
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.
- Japan57 in 1933
- Russia21 in 1933
- Greece14 in 1933
- Indonesia11 in 1933
- Mexico11 in 1933
- Philippines11 in 1933
- Panama7 in 1933
- China6 in 1933
- Iran5 in 1933
- Papua New Guinea5 in 1933
- Solomon Islands5 in 1933
- Turkey5 in 1933
- Myanmar4 in 1933
- Italy3 in 1933
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands3 in 1933
- Vanuatu3 in 1933
- Afghanistan2 in 1933
- Canada2 in 1933
- Ecuador2 in 1933
- Mongolia2 in 1933
- Peru2 in 1933
- Saint Helena2 in 1933
- Samoa2 in 1933
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen2 in 1933
- Taiwan2 in 1933
- Tonga2 in 1933
- Chile1 in 1933
- Fiji1 in 1933
- Germany1 in 1933
- Iceland1 in 1933
- India1 in 1933
- Kazakhstan1 in 1933
- Libya1 in 1933
- Micronesia1 in 1933
- New Zealand1 in 1933
- Pakistan1 in 1933
- Portugal1 in 1933
- Tajikistan1 in 1933
- Uzbekistan1 in 1933
- Venezuela1 in 1933
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.