Earthquakes in 1938
The USGS located 330 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1938, 149 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 251 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.5 1938 Banda Sea Earthquake, Feb 2, 1938.
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 1938 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1938, by magnitude.
- 8.51938 Banda Sea Earthquake · 25 km deepIndonesia
- 8.21938 Semidi Islands, Alaska Earthquake · 35 km deepAlaska
- 7.8105 km E of Iwaki, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.7116 km E of Namie, Japan · 30 km deepJapan
- 7.7116 km ESE of Namie, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.769 km ESE of Kitaibaraki, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.7120 km NE of Palu, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 7.735 km N of Hirara, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 7.6141 km ESE of Namie, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 7.678 km S of Naze, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 7.548 km NW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.2182 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.270 km SE of Maumere, Indonesia · 66 km deepIndonesia
- 7.1200 km ESE of Iwaki, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 7.121 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 7.1170 km WNW of Ambon, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.141 km W of Pagsanahan Norte, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.099 km E of Iwaki, Japan · 30 km deepJapan
- 7.022 km ESE of Kemin, Kyrgyzstan · 15 km deepKyrgyzstan
- 7.072 km SW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 7.0113 km ESE of Yujing, Taiwan · 15 km deepTaiwan
- 7.031 km SE of Falam, Myanmar · 75 km deepMyanmar
- 7.015 km WNW of Te Anau, New Zealand · 100 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.021 km NW of Ölgii, Mongolia · 10 km deepMongolia
- 6.9105 km ESE of Perryville, Alaska · 35 km deepAlaska
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1938 | 42 | 6.9 | Scotia Sea |
| February 1938 | 30 | 8.5 | 1938 Banda Sea Earthquake |
| March 1938 | 26 | 6.7 | 280 km SW of Prince Rupert, Canada |
| April 1938 | 42 | 6.6 | 26 km NE of Kaman, Turkey |
| May 1938 | 48 | 7.7 | 69 km ESE of Kitaibaraki, Japan |
| June 1938 | 48 | 7.7 | 35 km N of Hirara, Japan |
| July 1938 | 55 | 6.6 | 233 km SW of La Cruz de Loreto, Mexico |
| August 1938 | 39 | 7.0 | 31 km SE of Falam, Myanmar |
| September 1938 | 47 | 7.1 | 21 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan |
| October 1938 | 36 | 7.2 | 182 km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia |
| November 1938 | 73 | 8.2 | 1938 Semidi Islands, Alaska Earthquake |
| December 1938 | 56 | 7.0 | 113 km ESE of Yujing, Taiwan |
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.
- Japan72 in 1938
- Indonesia20 in 1938
- Papua New Guinea13 in 1938
- Philippines13 in 1938
- Russia12 in 1938
- Turkey11 in 1938
- Mexico10 in 1938
- Taiwan10 in 1938
- Greece9 in 1938
- India9 in 1938
- China8 in 1938
- New Zealand7 in 1938
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen6 in 1938
- Vanuatu6 in 1938
- Iran5 in 1938
- Ethiopia4 in 1938
- Mongolia4 in 1938
- Pakistan4 in 1938
- Canada3 in 1938
- Fiji3 in 1938
- New Caledonia3 in 1938
- Solomon Islands3 in 1938
- Armenia2 in 1938
- Cabo Verde2 in 1938
- Chile2 in 1938
- Croatia2 in 1938
- Ecuador2 in 1938
- Myanmar2 in 1938
- Nicaragua2 in 1938
- Albania1 in 1938
- Austria1 in 1938
- Azerbaijan1 in 1938
- Belgium1 in 1938
- Bhutan1 in 1938
- Djibouti1 in 1938
- El Salvador1 in 1938
- France1 in 1938
- Georgia1 in 1938
- Italy1 in 1938
- Kenya1 in 1938
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1938
- Mozambique1 in 1938
- Nepal1 in 1938
- Palau1 in 1938
- Somalia1 in 1938
- Sudan1 in 1938
- Tajikistan1 in 1938
- Tonga1 in 1938
- Turkmenistan1 in 1938
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1938
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.