Earthquakes in 1946
The USGS located 157 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1946, 94 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 394 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.6 The 1946 Unimak Island, Alaska Earthquake, Apr 1, 1946.
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 1946 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1946, by magnitude.
- 8.6The 1946 Unimak Island, Alaska Earthquake · 15 km deepAlaska
- 8.368 km S of Shing?, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.816 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic · 15 km deepDominican Republic
- 7.7152 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 50 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.6Myanmar · 15 km deepMyanmar
- 7.534 km N of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan · 25 km deepKyrgyzstan
- 7.5The 1946 Vancouver Island, Canada Earthquake · 30 km deepCanada
- 7.2134 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 20 km deepRussia
- 7.1129 km ENE of Mawlaik, Myanmar · 15 km deepMyanmar
- 7.138 km ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 7.196 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.040 km NE of Balkanabat, Turkmenistan · 38 km deepTurkmenistan
- 7.024 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic · 15 km deepDominican Republic
- 7.0122 km W of Pariaman, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0122 km ESE of Pangai, Tonga · 15 km deepTonga
- 6.952 km W of Diego de Almagro, Chile · 39 km deepChile
- 6.9north of Ascension Island · 15 km deepSaint Helena
- 6.857 km SSW of Atka, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 6.86 km SSW of Quiches, Peru · 15 km deepPeru
- 6.840 km ESE of Chaihe, China · 581 km deepChina
- 6.8123 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 6.7Taiwan · 25 km deepTaiwan
- 6.644 km WSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia · 45 km deepIndonesia
- 6.621 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea · 25 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.6146 km ESE of Akutan, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1946 | 23 | 7.1 | 38 km ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu |
| February 1946 | 25 | 6.4 | 36 km E of Awallan, Philippines |
| March 1946 | 122 | 6.6 | 44 km WSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia |
| April 1946 | 55 | 8.6 | The 1946 Unimak Island, Alaska Earthquake |
| May 1946 | 43 | 7.1 | 96 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
| June 1946 | 42 | 7.5 | The 1946 Vancouver Island, Canada Earthquake |
| July 1946 | 53 | 6.3 | 238 km SW of Port McNeill, Canada |
| August 1946 | 40 | 7.8 | 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic |
| September 1946 | 27 | 7.7 | 152 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
| October 1946 | 31 | 6.5 | 83 km SE of Akutan, Alaska |
| November 1946 | 32 | 7.5 | 34 km N of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan |
| December 1946 | 24 | 8.3 | 68 km S of Shing?, Japan |
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.
- Russia9 in 1946
- Dominican Republic8 in 1946
- Indonesia8 in 1946
- Greece6 in 1946
- Japan6 in 1946
- Myanmar6 in 1946
- Papua New Guinea6 in 1946
- Kyrgyzstan4 in 1946
- Taiwan4 in 1946
- Turkey4 in 1946
- Canada3 in 1946
- Chile3 in 1946
- China3 in 1946
- New Zealand3 in 1946
- Pakistan3 in 1946
- Tonga3 in 1946
- Vanuatu3 in 1946
- Albania2 in 1946
- Iran2 in 1946
- Iraq2 in 1946
- Mexico2 in 1946
- Peru2 in 1946
- Philippines2 in 1946
- Saint Helena2 in 1946
- Switzerland2 in 1946
- Algeria1 in 1946
- Barbados1 in 1946
- Democratic Republic of the Congo1 in 1946
- Ecuador1 in 1946
- India1 in 1946
- Martinique1 in 1946
- Portugal1 in 1946
- Solomon Islands1 in 1946
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1946
- Turkmenistan1 in 1946
- Yemen1 in 1946
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.