Earthquakes in 1957
The USGS located 358 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1957, 175 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 337 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.6 1957 Atka, Alaska Earthquake, Mar 9, 1957.
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 1957 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1957, by magnitude.
- 8.61957 Atka, Alaska Earthquake · 25 km deepAlaska
- 8.11957 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia Earthquake · 30 km deepMongolia
- 7.8186 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 124 km deepVanuatu
- 7.751 km W of Atocha, Bolivia · 233 km deepBolivia
- 7.666 km SSE of Klyuchi, Russia · 148 km deepRussia
- 7.68 km ENE of Apantla, Mexico · 38 km deepMexico
- 7.4Fiji region · 587 km deepFiji
- 7.425 km SE of Kuanda, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 7.334 km S of Sarigerme, Turkey · 35 km deepTurkey
- 7.3146 km SE of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 35 km deepPhilippines
- 7.2162 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.175 km S of Adak, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.160 km SW of Adak, Alaska · 20 km deepAlaska
- 7.182 km SE of Biak, Indonesia · 59 km deepIndonesia
- 7.127 km SSE of Sarigerme, Turkey · 35 km deepTurkey
- 7.113 km SSW of Düzce, Turkey · 25 km deepTurkey
- 7.1112 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga · 20 km deepTonga
- 7.139 km S of Akutan, Alaska · 47 km deepAlaska
- 7.135 km SW of Nikolski, Alaska · 35 km deepAlaska
- 7.0148 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 6.980 km SW of Nikolski, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 6.93 km WSW of Hualien City, Taiwan · 55 km deepTaiwan
- 6.9183 km N of Rengasdengklok, Indonesia · 596 km deepIndonesia
- 6.954 km WSW of Dongning, China · 581 km deepChina
- 6.836 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan · 30 km deepTaiwan
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1957 | 31 | 6.9 | 54 km WSW of Dongning, China |
| February 1957 | 42 | 6.9 | 3 km WSW of Hualien City, Taiwan |
| March 1957 | 81 | 8.6 | 1957 Atka, Alaska Earthquake |
| April 1957 | 81 | 7.3 | 34 km S of Sarigerme, Turkey |
| May 1957 | 42 | 7.1 | 13 km SSW of Düzce, Turkey |
| June 1957 | 48 | 7.4 | 25 km SE of Kuanda, Russia |
| July 1957 | 48 | 7.6 | 8 km ENE of Apantla, Mexico |
| August 1957 | 42 | 6.5 | northern East Pacific Rise |
| September 1957 | 32 | 7.4 | Fiji region |
| October 1957 | 52 | 7.6 | 66 km SSE of Klyuchi, Russia |
| November 1957 | 32 | 7.7 | 51 km W of Atocha, Bolivia |
| December 1957 | 46 | 8.1 | 1957 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia Earthquake |
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.
- Russia22 in 1957
- Indonesia21 in 1957
- Greece17 in 1957
- Turkey14 in 1957
- Philippines12 in 1957
- Tonga11 in 1957
- Japan9 in 1957
- Mexico9 in 1957
- Papua New Guinea8 in 1957
- Vanuatu6 in 1957
- Iran5 in 1957
- New Zealand5 in 1957
- Afghanistan4 in 1957
- Canada4 in 1957
- China4 in 1957
- Mongolia4 in 1957
- Venezuela4 in 1957
- Bolivia3 in 1957
- Chile3 in 1957
- Ecuador3 in 1957
- Panama3 in 1957
- Solomon Islands3 in 1957
- Taiwan3 in 1957
- Tajikistan3 in 1957
- Colombia2 in 1957
- Fiji2 in 1957
- Guatemala2 in 1957
- Italy2 in 1957
- Myanmar2 in 1957
- Saint Helena2 in 1957
- Algeria1 in 1957
- Costa Rica1 in 1957
- Democratic Republic of the Congo1 in 1957
- Djibouti1 in 1957
- Georgia1 in 1957
- Greenland1 in 1957
- Honduras1 in 1957
- India1 in 1957
- Jamaica1 in 1957
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1957
- Nicaragua1 in 1957
- Peru1 in 1957
- Samoa1 in 1957
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands1 in 1957
- Spain1 in 1957
- Tanzania1 in 1957
- Tunisia1 in 1957
- Ukraine1 in 1957
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1957
- Zimbabwe1 in 1957
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.