Earthquakes in 1940
The USGS located 236 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1940, 105 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 313 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.2 21 km SE of Huacho, Peru, May 24, 1940.
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 1940 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1940, by magnitude.
- 8.221 km SE of Huacho, Peru · 45 km deepPeru
- 7.713 km ESE of Comand?u, Romania · 150 km deepRomania
- 7.7Mariana Islands region · 15 km deep
- 7.5137 km WSW of Rishiri Town, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.5Mariana Islands region · 15 km deep
- 7.2Near the coast of Tarapaca, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.024 km E of Attu Station, Alaska · 30 km deepAlaska
- 7.080 km SSE of Attu Station, Alaska · 30 km deepAlaska
- 7.074 km NW of Hiratach?, Japan · 10 km deepJapan
- 7.0203 km SSE of Unalaska, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.914 km SE of Ancud, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 6.9The 1940 Imperial Valley, California Earthquake · 6 km deepCalifornia
- 6.829 km SSW of Nueva Concepción, Guatemala · 35 km deepGuatemala
- 6.8southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 15 km deep
- 6.7west of Macquarie Island · 10 km deep
- 6.78 km SW of Parrita, Costa Rica · 35 km deepCosta Rica
- 6.7285 km ESE of Naze, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.710 km SSW of Huacho, Peru · 45 km deepPeru
- 6.651 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan · 44 km deepJapan
- 6.612 km NNW of Gura Teghii, Romania · 130 km deepRomania
- 6.6180 km W of Abepura, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.675 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 76 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.6201 km SE of Attu Station, Alaska · 15 km deepAlaska
- 6.6276 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 50 km deepAlaska
- 6.576 km SSW of Fort McPherson, Canada · 10 km deepCanada
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1940 | 36 | 7.5 | Mariana Islands region |
| February 1940 | 34 | 6.6 | 201 km SE of Attu Station, Alaska |
| March 1940 | 32 | 6.7 | west of Macquarie Island |
| April 1940 | 24 | 7.0 | 24 km E of Attu Station, Alaska |
| May 1940 | 71 | 8.2 | 21 km SE of Huacho, Peru |
| June 1940 | 79 | 6.5 | 76 km SSW of Fort McPherson, Canada |
| July 1940 | 45 | 6.8 | 29 km SSW of Nueva Concepción, Guatemala |
| August 1940 | 37 | 7.5 | 137 km WSW of Rishiri Town, Japan |
| September 1940 | 30 | 6.8 | southeast of the Loyalty Islands |
| October 1940 | 49 | 7.2 | Near the coast of Tarapaca, Chile |
| November 1940 | 33 | 7.7 | 13 km ESE of Comand?u, Romania |
| December 1940 | 21 | 7.7 | Mariana Islands region |
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.
- Japan16 in 1940
- Turkey14 in 1940
- China13 in 1940
- Indonesia11 in 1940
- Philippines11 in 1940
- Chile9 in 1940
- Russia8 in 1940
- Iran6 in 1940
- Papua New Guinea5 in 1940
- Afghanistan4 in 1940
- Costa Rica4 in 1940
- Mexico4 in 1940
- Tonga4 in 1940
- India3 in 1940
- Panama3 in 1940
- Peru3 in 1940
- Vanuatu3 in 1940
- Canada2 in 1940
- Ecuador2 in 1940
- Georgia2 in 1940
- Greece2 in 1940
- Kazakhstan2 in 1940
- Romania2 in 1940
- Somalia2 in 1940
- Yemen2 in 1940
- Albania1 in 1940
- Fiji1 in 1940
- Greenland1 in 1940
- Guatemala1 in 1940
- Honduras1 in 1940
- Italy1 in 1940
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1940
- Libya1 in 1940
- Micronesia1 in 1940
- Mozambique1 in 1940
- Myanmar1 in 1940
- Pakistan1 in 1940
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1 in 1940
- Samoa1 in 1940
- Solomon Islands1 in 1940
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1940
- Taiwan1 in 1940
- Tajikistan1 in 1940
- Timor Leste1 in 1940
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1940
- Zambia1 in 1940
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.