Earthquakes in 1945
The USGS located 127 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1945, 88 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 162 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.1 1945 Makran Subduction Zone Earthquake, Nov 28, 1945.
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 1945 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1945, by magnitude.
- 8.11945 Makran Subduction Zone Earthquake · 15 km deepPakistan
- 7.5173 km WSW of Riverton, New Zealand · 20 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.532 km SSW of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 60 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.2Volcano Islands, Japan region · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.266 km ENE of Misawa, Japan · 59 km deepJapan
- 7.1149 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 7.1New Britain region, Papua New Guinea · 55 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.067 km SSE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 45 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.948 km S of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 55 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.958 km SE of Sola, Vanuatu · 20 km deepVanuatu
- 6.959 km SW of Bahía de Lobos, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 6.8149 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan · 23 km deepJapan
- 6.8Balleny Islands region · 10 km deep
- 6.7118 km ENE of Namie, Japan · 45 km deepJapan
- 6.77 km WNW of Nereju Mic, Romania · 86 km deepRomania
- 6.720 km SSW of Sigli, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.647 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 60 km deepRussia
- 6.618 km SW of Tahara, Japan · 10 km deepJapan
- 6.6143 km E of Nago, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.5114 km NE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 15 km deepRussia
- 6.5239 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 35 km deepNew Caledonia
- 6.544 km ESE of Hualien City, Taiwan · 14 km deepTaiwan
- 6.53 km SW of Santo Tomás, Panama · 34 km deepPanama
- 6.553 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.588 km S of ?yama, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1945 | 32 | 6.6 | 18 km SW of Tahara, Japan |
| February 1945 | 17 | 7.2 | Volcano Islands, Japan region |
| March 1945 | 27 | 6.8 | Balleny Islands region |
| April 1945 | 28 | 7.1 | 149 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia |
| May 1945 | 25 | 6.3 | 191 km WSW of Ferndale, California |
| June 1945 | 25 | 6.9 | 59 km SW of Bahía de Lobos, Mexico |
| July 1945 | 11 | 6.7 | 20 km SSW of Sigli, Indonesia |
| August 1945 | 30 | 6.9 | 58 km SE of Sola, Vanuatu |
| September 1945 | 29 | 7.5 | 173 km WSW of Riverton, New Zealand |
| October 1945 | 18 | 6.6 | 47 km E of Shikotan, Russia |
| November 1945 | 16 | 8.1 | 1945 Makran Subduction Zone Earthquake |
| December 1945 | 14 | 7.5 | 32 km SSW of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea |
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.
- Japan19 in 1945
- Papua New Guinea10 in 1945
- Philippines7 in 1945
- Indonesia6 in 1945
- Turkey6 in 1945
- Mexico4 in 1945
- Russia4 in 1945
- China3 in 1945
- India3 in 1945
- New Caledonia3 in 1945
- Canada2 in 1945
- Greenland2 in 1945
- Iran2 in 1945
- Pakistan2 in 1945
- Panama2 in 1945
- Taiwan2 in 1945
- Vanuatu2 in 1945
- Albania1 in 1945
- Bangladesh1 in 1945
- Colombia1 in 1945
- Djibouti1 in 1945
- Dominican Republic1 in 1945
- El Salvador1 in 1945
- Eritrea1 in 1945
- Greece1 in 1945
- Honduras1 in 1945
- Italy1 in 1945
- Kazakhstan1 in 1945
- Kosovo1 in 1945
- Nepal1 in 1945
- New Zealand1 in 1945
- Peru1 in 1945
- Republic of the Congo1 in 1945
- Romania1 in 1945
- Tajikistan1 in 1945
- Uganda1 in 1945
- Venezuela1 in 1945
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.