Earthquakes in 1952
The USGS located 386 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1952, 166 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 542 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M9.0 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, Nov 5, 1952.
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 1952 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1952, by magnitude.
- 9.089 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 22 km deepRussia
- 8.11952 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake · 45 km deepJapan
- 7.5The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake · 6 km deepCalifornia
- 7.4101 km SSW of Nagqu, China · 25 km deepChina
- 7.3108 km ENE of Cortes, Philippines · 15 km deepPhilippines
- 7.077 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste · 25 km deepTimor Leste
- 7.0Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.9110 km ESE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan · 50 km deepJapan
- 6.9102 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 30 km deepRussia
- 6.8110 km NW of Madang, Papua New Guinea · 52 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.8Kuril Islands · 27 km deep
- 6.88 km W of Nueve de Julio, Argentina · 25 km deepArgentina
- 6.8125 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 21 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.778 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 24 km deepRussia
- 6.7173 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 20 km deepRussia
- 6.749 km S of Quepos, Costa Rica · 15 km deepCosta Rica
- 6.7134 km S of Nemuro, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.7104 km N of K?ng Tung, Myanmar · 10 km deepMyanmar
- 6.7178 km SSE of Ishigaki, Japan · 20 km deepJapan
- 6.6119 km E of Yamada, Japan · 28 km deepJapan
- 6.6103 km SW of Gataivai, Samoa · 15 km deepSamoa
- 6.659 km N of Xichang, China · 10 km deepChina
- 6.636 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan · 35 km deepTaiwan
- 6.6off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia · 30 km deepRussia
- 6.6150 km WNW of Pariaman, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1952 | 31 | 6.7 | 178 km SSE of Ishigaki, Japan |
| February 1952 | 43 | 7.0 | 77 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste |
| March 1952 | 58 | 8.1 | 1952 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake |
| April 1952 | 42 | 6.5 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| May 1952 | 36 | 6.6 | 150 km WNW of Pariaman, Indonesia |
| June 1952 | 39 | 6.8 | Kuril Islands |
| July 1952 | 251 | 7.5 | The 1952 Kern County, California Earthquake |
| August 1952 | 75 | 7.4 | 101 km SSW of Nagqu, China |
| September 1952 | 46 | 6.7 | 49 km S of Quepos, Costa Rica |
| October 1952 | 61 | 6.6 | 119 km E of Yamada, Japan |
| November 1952 | 101 | 9.0 | 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia |
| December 1952 | 62 | 7.0 | Solomon Islands |
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.
- Russia69 in 1952
- Japan42 in 1952
- China21 in 1952
- Greece15 in 1952
- Papua New Guinea12 in 1952
- Philippines8 in 1952
- Tonga8 in 1952
- Turkey7 in 1952
- Indonesia6 in 1952
- Mexico6 in 1952
- Panama6 in 1952
- Costa Rica5 in 1952
- Chile4 in 1952
- Colombia4 in 1952
- India4 in 1952
- Pakistan4 in 1952
- Solomon Islands4 in 1952
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen4 in 1952
- Nicaragua3 in 1952
- Saint Helena3 in 1952
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands3 in 1952
- Botswana2 in 1952
- Iceland2 in 1952
- New Zealand2 in 1952
- North Korea2 in 1952
- Taiwan2 in 1952
- Afghanistan1 in 1952
- Algeria1 in 1952
- Argentina1 in 1952
- Burundi1 in 1952
- Ethiopia1 in 1952
- Fiji1 in 1952
- Guatemala1 in 1952
- Haiti1 in 1952
- Honduras1 in 1952
- Italy1 in 1952
- Mayotte1 in 1952
- Micronesia1 in 1952
- Myanmar1 in 1952
- New Caledonia1 in 1952
- North Macedonia1 in 1952
- Oman1 in 1952
- Peru1 in 1952
- Portugal1 in 1952
- Samoa1 in 1952
- Timor Leste1 in 1952
- Turkmenistan1 in 1952
- Uganda1 in 1952
- Vanuatu1 in 1952
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.