Earthquakes in 1948
The USGS located 194 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1948, 114 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 407 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.8 3 km W of Buga, Philippines, Jan 25, 1948.
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 1948 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1948, by magnitude.
- 7.83 km W of Buga, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.5110 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga · 15 km deepTonga
- 7.467 km SSW of Shing?, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 7.3151 km W of Kangding, China · 55 km deepChina
- 7.315 km NNW of Karpathos, Greece · 15 km deepGreece
- 7.214 km N of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan · 15 km deepTurkmenistan
- 7.1176 km W of Davila, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.1124 km WNW of Ambon, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 7.111 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic · 15 km deepDominican Republic
- 7.190 km SE of King Cove, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.1Fiji region · 595 km deepFiji
- 7.0139 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 7.052 km ESE of Shikotan, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 6.928 km ENE of Nichinan, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 6.910 km ESE of Tanabe, Japan · 24 km deepJapan
- 6.930 km SSE of Santa Clara, Argentina · 30 km deepArgentina
- 6.9Macquarie Island region · 15 km deep
- 6.86 km NNW of Miagao, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 6.8Papua, Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.83 km W of Maruoka, Japan · 10 km deepJapan
- 6.862 km S of Shing?, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.77 km WSW of Samaná, Dominican Republic · 15 km deepDominican Republic
- 6.7192 km SW of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea · 25 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.635 km NW of Itháki, Greece · 15 km deepGreece
- 6.697 km NNW of Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea · 55 km deepPapua New Guinea
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1948 | 29 | 7.8 | 3 km W of Buga, Philippines |
| February 1948 | 43 | 7.3 | 15 km NNW of Karpathos, Greece |
| March 1948 | 59 | 7.1 | 176 km W of Davila, Philippines |
| April 1948 | 32 | 7.4 | 67 km SSW of Shing?, Japan |
| May 1948 | 33 | 7.3 | 151 km W of Kangding, China |
| June 1948 | 40 | 6.9 | 10 km ESE of Tanabe, Japan |
| July 1948 | 40 | 6.8 | 62 km S of Shing?, Japan |
| August 1948 | 37 | 6.9 | 30 km SSE of Santa Clara, Argentina |
| September 1948 | 33 | 7.5 | 110 km E of ‘Ohonua, Tonga |
| October 1948 | 40 | 7.2 | 14 km N of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan |
| November 1948 | 28 | 6.6 | 97 km NNW of Kundiawa, Papua New Guinea |
| December 1948 | 158 | 6.9 | Macquarie Island 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.
- Japan18 in 1948
- Greece17 in 1948
- Russia15 in 1948
- Indonesia9 in 1948
- Philippines9 in 1948
- China8 in 1948
- Italy8 in 1948
- Papua New Guinea8 in 1948
- Mexico5 in 1948
- Peru5 in 1948
- Vanuatu5 in 1948
- Iran4 in 1948
- Tonga4 in 1948
- Turkey4 in 1948
- Dominican Republic3 in 1948
- Canada2 in 1948
- Chile2 in 1948
- Guatemala2 in 1948
- Iceland2 in 1948
- India2 in 1948
- Montenegro2 in 1948
- New Zealand2 in 1948
- Pakistan2 in 1948
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands2 in 1948
- Taiwan2 in 1948
- Turkmenistan2 in 1948
- Afghanistan1 in 1948
- Algeria1 in 1948
- Argentina1 in 1948
- Costa Rica1 in 1948
- Fiji1 in 1948
- Honduras1 in 1948
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1948
- Myanmar1 in 1948
- Panama1 in 1948
- Samoa1 in 1948
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1948
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.