Earthquakes in 1939
The USGS located 239 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1939, 80 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 245 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.1 1939 Sulawesi Earthquake, Dec 22, 1939.
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 1939 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1939, by magnitude.
- 8.11939 Sulawesi Earthquake · 150 km deepIndonesia
- 7.826 km WNW of San Carlos, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.823 km SSE of Malango, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.885 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.820 km NNE of Erzincan, Turkey · 20 km deepTurkey
- 7.64 km WNW of Atenas, Costa Rica · 25 km deepCosta Rica
- 7.5South Indian Ocean · 15 km deep
- 7.4Atacama, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.4off the east coast of Honshu, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 7.2238 km SSE of Attu Station, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 7.292 km NNE of San Luis, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 7.228 km W of Tenn?, Japan · 10 km deepJapan
- 7.148 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 30 km deepVanuatu
- 7.0155 km SSW of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia · 530 km deepRussia
- 7.044 km NW of Malango, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.813 km W of Jacó, Costa Rica · 25 km deepCosta Rica
- 6.817 km NE of Champerico, Guatemala · 45 km deepGuatemala
- 6.8Fiji region · 635 km deepFiji
- 6.737 km E of Santiago, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.799 km SE of Senhora do Rosário, Portugal · 10 km deepPortugal
- 6.713 km SSE of Nobeoka, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 6.6Volcano Islands, Japan region · 35 km deepJapan
- 6.618 km WNW of Tenn?, Japan · 10 km deepJapan
- 6.6252 km SW of Port McNeill, Canada · 15 km deepCanada
- 6.572 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 60 km deepRussia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1939 | 50 | 7.8 | 26 km WNW of San Carlos, Chile |
| February 1939 | 54 | 7.0 | 44 km NW of Malango, Solomon Islands |
| March 1939 | 38 | 7.5 | South Indian Ocean |
| April 1939 | 35 | 7.8 | 23 km SSE of Malango, Solomon Islands |
| May 1939 | 56 | 7.2 | 92 km NNE of San Luis, Mexico |
| June 1939 | 31 | 6.7 | 37 km E of Santiago, Philippines |
| July 1939 | 30 | 6.8 | Fiji region |
| August 1939 | 32 | 6.5 | 104 km SSE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu |
| September 1939 | 29 | 7.2 | 238 km SSE of Attu Station, Alaska |
| October 1939 | 28 | 7.4 | off the east coast of Honshu, Japan |
| November 1939 | 24 | 6.3 | 87 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia |
| December 1939 | 38 | 8.1 | 1939 Sulawesi Earthquake |
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.
- Japan22 in 1939
- Indonesia15 in 1939
- Papua New Guinea15 in 1939
- Turkey14 in 1939
- Russia10 in 1939
- Iran9 in 1939
- Philippines9 in 1939
- China7 in 1939
- Mexico6 in 1939
- Solomon Islands6 in 1939
- Vanuatu6 in 1939
- Tonga5 in 1939
- Costa Rica4 in 1939
- El Salvador4 in 1939
- Greece4 in 1939
- India4 in 1939
- Taiwan4 in 1939
- Afghanistan3 in 1939
- Canada3 in 1939
- Chile3 in 1939
- Italy3 in 1939
- Libya3 in 1939
- Albania2 in 1939
- Guatemala2 in 1939
- New Zealand2 in 1939
- Portugal2 in 1939
- Saint Helena2 in 1939
- Austria1 in 1939
- Fiji1 in 1939
- Ghana1 in 1939
- Kazakhstan1 in 1939
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1939
- Nicaragua1 in 1939
- Oman1 in 1939
- Panama1 in 1939
- Tajikistan1 in 1939
- Timor Leste1 in 1939
- Turkmenistan1 in 1939
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.