Earthquakes in 1942
The USGS located 165 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1942, 99 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 299 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.1 21 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, Peru, Aug 24, 1942.
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 1942 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1942, by magnitude.
- 8.121 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, Peru · 30 km deepPeru
- 8.01942 Southwest Indian Ridge Earthquake · 10 km deep
- 7.812 km SE of Pedernales, Ecuador · 20 km deepEcuador
- 7.726 km SSW of La Gomera, Guatemala · 35 km deepGuatemala
- 7.618 km WSW of Tayaman, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.312 km SSW of Kipit, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 7.1central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 10 km deep
- 7.187 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.196 km SSW of Nabire, Indonesia · 18 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0122 km SSE of Koshima, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 7.013 km SE of Ayvac?k, Turkey · 10 km deepTurkey
- 7.025 km SE of Masterton, New Zealand · 15 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.0233 km ESE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands · 15 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 6.932 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia · 15 km deepMicronesia
- 6.838 km ESE of Hualien City, Taiwan · 10 km deepTaiwan
- 6.815 km SSE of Levin, New Zealand · 35 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.876 km E of ?arai, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.7Izu Islands, Japan region · 20 km deepJapan
- 6.7southeast Indian Ridge · 10 km deep
- 6.63 km ESE of Sabang, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.6298 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 6.676 km ENE of Namie, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 6.6The 1942 Fish Creek Mountains, California Earthquake · 6 km deepCalifornia
- 6.6121 km NW of Ambon, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.629 km SE of Pedernales, Ecuador · 15 km deepEcuador
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1942 | 41 | 7.1 | 96 km SSW of Nabire, Indonesia |
| February 1942 | 32 | 6.6 | 76 km ENE of Namie, Japan |
| March 1942 | 29 | 7.0 | 122 km SSE of Koshima, Japan |
| April 1942 | 26 | 7.6 | 18 km WSW of Tayaman, Philippines |
| May 1942 | 39 | 7.8 | 12 km SE of Pedernales, Ecuador |
| June 1942 | 36 | 7.0 | 25 km SE of Masterton, New Zealand |
| July 1942 | 24 | 7.1 | 87 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile |
| August 1942 | 39 | 8.1 | 21 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, Peru |
| September 1942 | 32 | 6.8 | 38 km ESE of Hualien City, Taiwan |
| October 1942 | 51 | 7.3 | 12 km SSW of Kipit, Philippines |
| November 1942 | 45 | 8.0 | 1942 Southwest Indian Ridge Earthquake |
| December 1942 | 45 | 7.0 | 13 km SE of Ayvac?k, Turkey |
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.
- Ecuador14 in 1942
- Japan13 in 1942
- Philippines12 in 1942
- Greece9 in 1942
- Turkey9 in 1942
- Indonesia8 in 1942
- Papua New Guinea8 in 1942
- Peru5 in 1942
- China4 in 1942
- Guatemala4 in 1942
- New Zealand4 in 1942
- Chile3 in 1942
- Mexico3 in 1942
- Pakistan3 in 1942
- Russia3 in 1942
- Tonga3 in 1942
- Colombia2 in 1942
- Iran2 in 1942
- Taiwan2 in 1942
- Tajikistan2 in 1942
- Uzbekistan2 in 1942
- Canada1 in 1942
- Croatia1 in 1942
- Ethiopia1 in 1942
- Iceland1 in 1942
- India1 in 1942
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1942
- Micronesia1 in 1942
- Myanmar1 in 1942
- Nicaragua1 in 1942
- North Macedonia1 in 1942
- Saint Helena1 in 1942
- Solomon Islands1 in 1942
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1942
- Tanzania1 in 1942
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.