Earthquakes in 1953
The USGS located 260 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1953, 128 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 548 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.9 174 km SE of Katsuura, Japan, Nov 26, 1953.
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 1953 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1953, by magnitude.
- 7.9174 km SE of Katsuura, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 7.523 km SE of Chiguayante, Chile · 66 km deepChile
- 7.467 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 35 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.314 km NNE of Zorritos, Peru · 25 km deepPeru
- 7.318 km WSW of Soufrière, Saint Lucia · 129 km deepSaint Lucia
- 7.37 km N of Gönen, Turkey · 10 km deepTurkey
- 7.262 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 236 km deepVanuatu
- 7.1146 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 7.0171 km WNW of Attu Station, Alaska · 21 km deepAlaska
- 6.928 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 56 km deepRussia
- 6.8173 km W of Lata, Solomon Islands · 25 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.889 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste · 25 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.8171 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 49 km deepRussia
- 6.8123 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 35 km deepRussia
- 6.892 km NNW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste · 25 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.895 km SSW of Champerico, Guatemala · 25 km deepGuatemala
- 6.815 km ENE of Póros, Greece · 10 km deepGreece
- 6.8116 km SW of Mazatlán, Mexico · 10 km deepMexico
- 6.7143 km SE of Katsuura, Japan · 25 km deepJapan
- 6.6146 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 25 km deepVanuatu
- 6.694 km SSE of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea · 25 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.667 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 55 km deepRussia
- 6.6140 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 35 km deepVanuatu
- 6.699 km SSW of Kushiro, Japan · 45 km deepJapan
- 6.6near the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia · 57 km deepRussia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1953 | 57 | 7.0 | 171 km WNW of Attu Station, Alaska |
| February 1953 | 77 | 6.8 | 173 km W of Lata, Solomon Islands |
| March 1953 | 69 | 7.3 | 18 km WSW of Soufrière, Saint Lucia |
| April 1953 | 55 | 7.4 | 67 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea |
| May 1953 | 98 | 7.5 | 23 km SE of Chiguayante, Chile |
| June 1953 | 80 | 6.8 | 89 km NW of Pante Makasar, Timor Leste |
| July 1953 | 70 | 7.2 | 62 km NE of Isangel, Vanuatu |
| August 1953 | 60 | 6.8 | 15 km ENE of Póros, Greece |
| September 1953 | 48 | 6.9 | 28 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia |
| October 1953 | 47 | 6.6 | 118 km S of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea |
| November 1953 | 66 | 7.9 | 174 km SE of Katsuura, Japan |
| December 1953 | 59 | 7.3 | 14 km NNE of Zorritos, Peru |
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.
- Russia46 in 1953
- Greece27 in 1953
- Japan23 in 1953
- China15 in 1953
- Turkey13 in 1953
- Papua New Guinea12 in 1953
- Indonesia11 in 1953
- Tonga8 in 1953
- Vanuatu7 in 1953
- Mexico5 in 1953
- Chile4 in 1953
- Peru4 in 1953
- New Caledonia3 in 1953
- Philippines3 in 1953
- Saint Helena3 in 1953
- Canada2 in 1953
- Dominican Republic2 in 1953
- Ecuador2 in 1953
- Fiji2 in 1953
- Guatemala2 in 1953
- Iran2 in 1953
- Nepal2 in 1953
- Pakistan2 in 1953
- Solomon Islands2 in 1953
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands2 in 1953
- Taiwan2 in 1953
- Timor Leste2 in 1953
- Albania1 in 1953
- Azerbaijan1 in 1953
- Barbados1 in 1953
- Croatia1 in 1953
- Cyprus1 in 1953
- El Salvador1 in 1953
- Germany1 in 1953
- Haiti1 in 1953
- Micronesia1 in 1953
- New Zealand1 in 1953
- Panama1 in 1953
- Portugal1 in 1953
- Saint Lucia1 in 1953
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen1 in 1953
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.