Earthquakes in 1950
The USGS located 248 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1950, 123 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 362 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.6 1950 Assam-Tibet Earthquake, Aug 15, 1950.
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 1950 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1950, by magnitude.
- 8.61950 Assam-Tibet Earthquake · 15 km deepIndia
- 8.2121 km SSE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile · 114 km deepChile
- 7.999 km SW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 30 km deepVanuatu
- 7.8159 km W of Pangai, Tonga · 216 km deepTonga
- 7.7Banda Sea · 200 km deep
- 7.7100 km SSE of Korsakov, Russia · 329 km deepRussia
- 7.5Costa Rica · 98 km deepCosta Rica
- 7.355 km S of Ambon, Indonesia · 20 km deepIndonesia
- 7.2250 km ESE of Biak, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
- 7.21 km NNW of Champerico, Guatemala · 65 km deepGuatemala
- 7.10 km SW of Igualapa, Mexico · 35 km deepMexico
- 7.144 km WNW of Quimilí, Argentina · 610 km deepArgentina
- 7.191 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 50 km deepVanuatu
- 6.9127 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.923 km NNE of K?ng Tung, Myanmar · 35 km deepMyanmar
- 6.933 km NE of Turt, Mongolia · 15 km deepMongolia
- 6.9107 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.83 km WNW of Locmayan, Philippines · 25 km deepPhilippines
- 6.8Fiji region · 400 km deepFiji
- 6.823 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil · 646 km deepBrazil
- 6.836 km SSW of Punta Arenas, Chile · 15 km deepChile
- 6.8northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 18 km deep
- 6.7106 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.726 km NNE of K?ng Tung, Myanmar · 35 km deepMyanmar
- 6.746 km SSE of Anan, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1950 | 38 | 6.8 | 36 km SSW of Punta Arenas, Chile |
| February 1950 | 38 | 7.7 | 100 km SSE of Korsakov, Russia |
| March 1950 | 28 | 6.8 | 3 km WNW of Locmayan, Philippines |
| April 1950 | 33 | 6.9 | 33 km NE of Turt, Mongolia |
| May 1950 | 38 | 7.1 | 91 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu |
| June 1950 | 28 | 6.9 | 127 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu |
| July 1950 | 75 | 6.8 | 23 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil |
| August 1950 | 84 | 8.6 | 1950 Assam-Tibet Earthquake |
| September 1950 | 59 | 7.2 | 250 km ESE of Biak, Indonesia |
| October 1950 | 54 | 7.5 | Costa Rica |
| November 1950 | 61 | 7.7 | Banda Sea |
| December 1950 | 45 | 8.2 | 121 km SSE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile |
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.
- India43 in 1950
- Vanuatu15 in 1950
- Japan12 in 1950
- China11 in 1950
- Indonesia11 in 1950
- Guatemala7 in 1950
- Mexico7 in 1950
- Philippines6 in 1950
- Solomon Islands6 in 1950
- Papua New Guinea5 in 1950
- Turkey4 in 1950
- Chile3 in 1950
- Costa Rica3 in 1950
- Fiji3 in 1950
- Greece3 in 1950
- Iran3 in 1950
- Mongolia3 in 1950
- Myanmar3 in 1950
- Russia3 in 1950
- Tajikistan3 in 1950
- Tonga3 in 1950
- Ethiopia2 in 1950
- New Zealand2 in 1950
- Pakistan2 in 1950
- Peru2 in 1950
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands2 in 1950
- Taiwan2 in 1950
- Turkmenistan2 in 1950
- Algeria1 in 1950
- Argentina1 in 1950
- Bhutan1 in 1950
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1950
- Brazil1 in 1950
- Dominican Republic1 in 1950
- Guadeloupe1 in 1950
- Italy1 in 1950
- Micronesia1 in 1950
- Mozambique1 in 1950
- Portugal1 in 1950
- Romania1 in 1950
- Samoa1 in 1950
- Somalia1 in 1950
- Venezuela1 in 1950
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.