Earthquakes in 1936
The USGS located 279 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1936, 105 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 289 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.8 161 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines, Apr 1, 1936.
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 1936 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1936, by magnitude.
- 7.8161 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 7.583 km NNE of Taltal, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.5253 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 7.361 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 20 km deepRussia
- 7.361 km NW of Gizo, Solomon Islands · 20 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.383 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.151 km E of Hengchun, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 7.1152 km NNE of Tual, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.186 km WSW of Pangkalan Brandan, Indonesia · 20 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0146 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 15 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.975 km WSW of Banda Aceh, Indonesia · 50 km deepIndonesia
- 6.928 km WNW of B?glung, Nepal · 15 km deepNepal
- 6.892 km SSW of Luocheng, China · 15 km deepChina
- 6.84 km NE of Beluga, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.820 km SE of Iztapa, Guatemala · 45 km deepGuatemala
- 6.8223 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia · 15 km deepMicronesia
- 6.824 km SSW of Linxia Chengguanzhen, China · 15 km deepChina
- 6.8Kuril Islands · 35 km deep
- 6.877 km ESE of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.83 km NNE of Malango, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.7126 km S of Kushiro, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 6.793 km SSW of Luocheng, China · 15 km deepChina
- 6.7South Sandwich Islands region · 10 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.7217 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1936 | 43 | 6.7 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| February 1936 | 42 | 7.1 | 152 km NNE of Tual, Indonesia |
| March 1936 | 35 | 6.7 | 126 km S of Kushiro, Japan |
| April 1936 | 49 | 7.8 | 161 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines |
| May 1936 | 43 | 6.9 | 28 km WNW of B?glung, Nepal |
| June 1936 | 38 | 7.5 | 253 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia |
| July 1936 | 32 | 7.5 | 83 km NNE of Taltal, Chile |
| August 1936 | 44 | 7.1 | 51 km E of Hengchun, Taiwan |
| September 1936 | 57 | 7.1 | 86 km WSW of Pangkalan Brandan, Indonesia |
| October 1936 | 69 | 7.0 | 146 km E of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia |
| November 1936 | 53 | 7.3 | 61 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia |
| December 1936 | 30 | 6.7 | 114 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
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.
- Indonesia26 in 1936
- Japan25 in 1936
- China15 in 1936
- Philippines15 in 1936
- Papua New Guinea11 in 1936
- Turkey11 in 1936
- Iran10 in 1936
- Russia10 in 1936
- Solomon Islands8 in 1936
- Tonga8 in 1936
- Greece5 in 1936
- Mexico5 in 1936
- Taiwan5 in 1936
- Chile4 in 1936
- India4 in 1936
- New Caledonia4 in 1936
- New Zealand4 in 1936
- Pakistan4 in 1936
- Greenland3 in 1936
- Nepal3 in 1936
- Palau3 in 1936
- Portugal3 in 1936
- Tajikistan3 in 1936
- Afghanistan2 in 1936
- Azerbaijan2 in 1936
- Costa Rica2 in 1936
- Guatemala2 in 1936
- Iceland2 in 1936
- Italy2 in 1936
- Kyrgyzstan2 in 1936
- Vanuatu2 in 1936
- Albania1 in 1936
- Anguilla1 in 1936
- Argentina1 in 1936
- Austria1 in 1936
- Bulgaria1 in 1936
- Canada1 in 1936
- El Salvador1 in 1936
- Kosovo1 in 1936
- Libya1 in 1936
- Mauritius1 in 1936
- Micronesia1 in 1936
- Mongolia1 in 1936
- Myanmar1 in 1936
- Panama1 in 1936
- Romania1 in 1936
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands1 in 1936
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1936
- Timor Leste1 in 1936
- Yemen1 in 1936
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.