Earthquakes in 1944
The USGS located 129 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1944, 83 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 226 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.1 1944 Toankai Earthquake, Dec 7, 1944.
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 1944 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1944, by magnitude.
- 8.11944 Toankai Earthquake · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.65 km SW of Manokwari, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.610 km WNW of Orta, Turkey · 30 km deepTurkey
- 7.4212 km E of Fuvahmulah, Maldives · 15 km deepMaldives
- 7.3Fiji region · 633 km deepFiji
- 7.352 km ESE of Xinyuan, China · 10 km deepChina
- 7.3195 km E of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.247 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 165 km deepVanuatu
- 7.1130 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.185 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 7.070 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico · 25 km deepMexico
- 7.0southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 120 km deep
- 6.94 km ESE of Chimbas, Argentina · 15 km deepArgentina
- 6.9off the east coast of Honshu, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.9113 km SW of Kashgar, China · 20 km deepChina
- 6.891 km E of Xinyuan, China · 10 km deepChina
- 6.8227 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines · 60 km deepPhilippines
- 6.842 km NW of Manokwari, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.8212 km ENE of Burang, China · 20 km deepChina
- 6.715 km WSW of Alt?noluk, Turkey · 15 km deepTurkey
- 6.7139 km W of Ternate, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.745 km S of Hualien City, Taiwan · 20 km deepTaiwan
- 6.76 km SW of Tenexpa, Mexico · 15 km deepMexico
- 6.754 km WSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 15 km deepVanuatu
- 6.627 km WSW of Langtoucun, China · 35 km deepChina
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1944 | 20 | 6.9 | 4 km ESE of Chimbas, Argentina |
| February 1944 | 24 | 7.6 | 10 km WNW of Orta, Turkey |
| March 1944 | 22 | 7.3 | 52 km ESE of Xinyuan, China |
| April 1944 | 16 | 7.6 | 5 km SW of Manokwari, Indonesia |
| May 1944 | 18 | 7.3 | Fiji region |
| June 1944 | 56 | 7.0 | 70 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico |
| July 1944 | 26 | 6.9 | off the east coast of Honshu, Japan |
| August 1944 | 29 | 6.6 | 52 km SSE of Atico, Peru |
| September 1944 | 31 | 7.1 | 85 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia |
| October 1944 | 32 | 7.0 | southeast of the Loyalty Islands |
| November 1944 | 33 | 7.2 | 47 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu |
| December 1944 | 32 | 8.1 | 1944 Toankai 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.
- Japan13 in 1944
- Indonesia11 in 1944
- China9 in 1944
- Turkey9 in 1944
- Greece7 in 1944
- Papua New Guinea7 in 1944
- Mexico5 in 1944
- Philippines4 in 1944
- Canada3 in 1944
- Iceland3 in 1944
- Kyrgyzstan3 in 1944
- Russia3 in 1944
- Vanuatu3 in 1944
- Chile2 in 1944
- Fiji2 in 1944
- India2 in 1944
- New Caledonia2 in 1944
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen2 in 1944
- Argentina1 in 1944
- Ecuador1 in 1944
- Ethiopia1 in 1944
- Iraq1 in 1944
- Maldives1 in 1944
- Mauritius1 in 1944
- Peru1 in 1944
- Solomon Islands1 in 1944
- Taiwan1 in 1944
- Tajikistan1 in 1944
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.