Earthquakes in 1934
The USGS located 291 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1934, 117 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 317 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.0 1934 Bihar-Nepal Earthquake, Jan 15, 1934.
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 1934 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1934, by magnitude.
- 8.01934 Bihar-Nepal Earthquake · 15 km deepNepal
- 7.7138 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 10 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.544 km ESE of Burica, Panama · 30 km deepPanama
- 7.5Volcano Islands, Japan region · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.5113 km W of Cabittaogan, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.3200 km NW of Dêqên, China · 15 km deepChina
- 7.345 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.239 km SE of Palmerston North, New Zealand · 15 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.212 km E of Kinablangan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 7.0102 km SW of Barra de Navidad, Mexico · 15 km deepMexico
- 7.061 km ENE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.0119 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.0165 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 6.932 km E of Barcelona, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.868 km W of Manokwari, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.8near the coast of Guerrero, Mexico · 30 km deepMexico
- 6.8south of Panama · 25 km deepPanama
- 6.8173 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 6.831 km SSW of Glacier View, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 6.820 km SSE of Guarumal, Panama · 25 km deepPanama
- 6.8off the coast of Northern California · 15 km deepCalifornia
- 6.7125 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.76 km WNW of Nikiski, Alaska · 60 km deepAlaska
- 6.76 km SW of P?ule?ti, Romania · 105 km deepRomania
- 6.760 km SW of Masachapa, Nicaragua · 25 km deepNicaragua
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1934 | 48 | 8.0 | 1934 Bihar-Nepal Earthquake |
| February 1934 | 53 | 7.5 | Volcano Islands, Japan region |
| March 1934 | 49 | 7.2 | 39 km SE of Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| April 1934 | 49 | 7.2 | 12 km E of Kinablangan, Philippines |
| May 1934 | 45 | 6.8 | 31 km SSW of Glacier View, Alaska |
| June 1934 | 71 | 6.7 | 6 km WNW of Nikiski, Alaska |
| July 1934 | 46 | 7.7 | 138 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands |
| August 1934 | 45 | 6.9 | 32 km E of Barcelona, Philippines |
| September 1934 | 35 | 6.4 | southeast of the Loyalty Islands |
| October 1934 | 26 | 6.6 | 155 km SE of Koshima, Japan |
| November 1934 | 32 | 7.0 | 102 km SW of Barra de Navidad, Mexico |
| December 1934 | 43 | 7.3 | 200 km NW of Dêqên, China |
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.
- Japan29 in 1934
- Indonesia20 in 1934
- Papua New Guinea17 in 1934
- Philippines16 in 1934
- Mexico14 in 1934
- China11 in 1934
- Solomon Islands11 in 1934
- Russia9 in 1934
- Vanuatu7 in 1934
- Iran6 in 1934
- Panama5 in 1934
- Greece4 in 1934
- Tajikistan4 in 1934
- Italy3 in 1934
- New Zealand3 in 1934
- Taiwan3 in 1934
- Algeria2 in 1934
- Canada2 in 1934
- Chile2 in 1934
- Colombia2 in 1934
- Honduras2 in 1934
- Kyrgyzstan2 in 1934
- Myanmar2 in 1934
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen2 in 1934
- Tonga2 in 1934
- Turkey2 in 1934
- Afghanistan1 in 1934
- Albania1 in 1934
- Australia1 in 1934
- Azerbaijan1 in 1934
- Bolivia1 in 1934
- Cayman Islands1 in 1934
- Costa Rica1 in 1934
- Fiji1 in 1934
- Guatemala1 in 1934
- Iceland1 in 1934
- India1 in 1934
- Laos1 in 1934
- Morocco1 in 1934
- Nepal1 in 1934
- Nicaragua1 in 1934
- Norway1 in 1934
- Pakistan1 in 1934
- Romania1 in 1934
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands1 in 1934
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.