Earthquakes in 1949
The USGS located 159 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1949, 83 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 402 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.0 The 1949 Haida Gwaii, Canada Earthquake, Aug 21, 1949.
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 1949 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1949, by magnitude.
- 8.0The 1949 Haida Gwaii, Canada Earthquake · 10 km deepCanada
- 7.7123 km W of Río Grande, Argentina · 10 km deepArgentina
- 7.6109 km SSE of Punta Arenas, Chile · 10 km deepChile
- 7.543 km ENE of Rasht, Tajikistan · 20 km deepTajikistan
- 7.535 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan · 229 km deepAfghanistan
- 7.4110 km ENE of Kuqa, China · 10 km deepChina
- 7.27 km N of Agbannawag, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.2155 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 60 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.29 km NNW of Karaburun, Turkey · 15 km deepTurkey
- 7.1233 km NE of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands · 15 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 7.086 km NNW of Tobelo, Indonesia · 60 km deepIndonesia
- 7.015 km SSW of Nacimiento, Chile · 58 km deepChile
- 7.0134 km ESE of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia · 15 km deepIndonesia
- 6.9130 km ENE of Labasa, Fiji · 15 km deepFiji
- 6.965 km SW of Neiafu, Tonga · 65 km deepTonga
- 6.840 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan · 20 km deepTajikistan
- 6.852 km SW of Bahía de Kino, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 6.814 km ENE of Yedisu, Turkey · 15 km deepTurkey
- 6.8128 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.7south of the Kermadec Islands · 15 km deep
- 6.769 km SW of Sola, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.7127 km NE of Neiafu, Tonga · 15 km deepTonga
- 6.74 km WNW of Roy, Washington · 50 km deepWashington
- 6.7South Indian Ocean · 10 km deep
- 6.7east of the South Sandwich Islands · 10 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1949 | 39 | 6.7 | South Indian Ocean |
| February 1949 | 39 | 7.4 | 110 km ENE of Kuqa, China |
| March 1949 | 51 | 7.5 | 35 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan |
| April 1949 | 23 | 7.0 | 15 km SSW of Nacimiento, Chile |
| May 1949 | 122 | 6.5 | 67 km ESE of Namie, Japan |
| June 1949 | 35 | 6.3 | 43 km W of Labuan, Indonesia |
| July 1949 | 52 | 7.5 | 43 km ENE of Rasht, Tajikistan |
| August 1949 | 52 | 8.0 | The 1949 Haida Gwaii, Canada Earthquake |
| September 1949 | 30 | 7.0 | 134 km ESE of Laikit, Laikit II (Dimembe), Indonesia |
| October 1949 | 37 | 7.2 | 155 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea |
| November 1949 | 27 | 6.8 | 52 km SW of Bahía de Kino, Mexico |
| December 1949 | 32 | 7.7 | 123 km W of Río Grande, Argentina |
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.
- Indonesia14 in 1949
- Tajikistan10 in 1949
- China9 in 1949
- Papua New Guinea9 in 1949
- Turkey9 in 1949
- Greece7 in 1949
- Japan5 in 1949
- Mexico5 in 1949
- Philippines5 in 1949
- Taiwan4 in 1949
- Tonga4 in 1949
- Canada3 in 1949
- New Zealand3 in 1949
- Pakistan3 in 1949
- Chile2 in 1949
- Fiji2 in 1949
- India2 in 1949
- Iran2 in 1949
- Italy2 in 1949
- Mongolia2 in 1949
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands2 in 1949
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen2 in 1949
- Afghanistan1 in 1949
- Argentina1 in 1949
- Costa Rica1 in 1949
- Croatia1 in 1949
- Djibouti1 in 1949
- Ecuador1 in 1949
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1949
- Mauritius1 in 1949
- New Caledonia1 in 1949
- Panama1 in 1949
- Peru1 in 1949
- Russia1 in 1949
- Serbia1 in 1949
- Tanzania1 in 1949
- Ukraine1 in 1949
- Vanuatu1 in 1949
- Yemen1 in 1949
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.