Earthquakes in 1959
The USGS located 370 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1959, 104 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 368 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.9 76 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, May 4, 1959.
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 1959 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1959, by magnitude.
- 7.976 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 55 km deepRussia
- 7.3Kermadec Islands region · 35 km deep
- 7.238 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan · 25 km deepTaiwan
- 7.2The 1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana Earthquake · 12 km deepMontana
- 7.1136 km E of Iquique, Chile · 109 km deepChile
- 7.067 km WNW of Gizo, Solomon Islands · 25 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.0South Sandwich Islands region · 25 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 7.0117 km E of Namie, Japan · 35 km deepJapan
- 6.9108 km SE of Mil’kovo, Russia · 10 km deepRussia
- 6.971 km NW of El Alto, Peru · 30 km deepPeru
- 6.954 km NW of Yonakuni, Japan · 118 km deepJapan
- 6.944 km ENE of Manokwari, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.8Kermadec Islands region · 35 km deep
- 6.7Ionian Sea · 15 km deepGreece
- 6.7264 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 62 km deepRussia
- 6.7Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.6129 km S of Naze, Japan · 15 km deepJapan
- 6.6South Sandwich Islands region · 25 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.6Fiji region · 15 km deepFiji
- 6.6108 km NNE of Palu, Indonesia · 35 km deepIndonesia
- 6.6186 km NNW of Kilmia, Yemen · 15 km deepYemen
- 6.647 km ENE of Humahuaca, Argentina · 25 km deepArgentina
- 6.634 km SSE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 27 km deepRussia
- 6.66 km SSW of San Pedro Coxcaltepec Cántaros, Mexico · 65 km deepMexico
- 6.6160 km SSW of Pagar Alam, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1959 | 52 | 7.0 | 117 km E of Namie, Japan |
| February 1959 | 32 | 6.9 | 71 km NW of El Alto, Peru |
| March 1959 | 23 | 6.9 | 44 km ENE of Manokwari, Indonesia |
| April 1959 | 53 | 6.9 | 54 km NW of Yonakuni, Japan |
| May 1959 | 47 | 7.9 | 76 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia |
| June 1959 | 49 | 7.1 | 136 km E of Iquique, Chile |
| July 1959 | 46 | 6.6 | Fiji region |
| August 1959 | 81 | 7.2 | 38 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan |
| September 1959 | 56 | 7.3 | Kermadec Islands region |
| October 1959 | 58 | 6.7 | 264 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia |
| November 1959 | 68 | 6.7 | Ionian Sea |
| December 1959 | 118 | 7.0 | South Sandwich Islands region |
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.
- Russia25 in 1959
- Indonesia22 in 1959
- Japan21 in 1959
- Greece16 in 1959
- Mexico14 in 1959
- Papua New Guinea13 in 1959
- Tonga12 in 1959
- Turkey10 in 1959
- Vanuatu10 in 1959
- Solomon Islands9 in 1959
- China8 in 1959
- Taiwan8 in 1959
- Albania7 in 1959
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands6 in 1959
- Chile5 in 1959
- Fiji5 in 1959
- Afghanistan4 in 1959
- Nicaragua4 in 1959
- Yemen4 in 1959
- Italy3 in 1959
- Kyrgyzstan3 in 1959
- Panama3 in 1959
- Philippines3 in 1959
- Spain3 in 1959
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen3 in 1959
- Algeria2 in 1959
- Argentina2 in 1959
- Azerbaijan2 in 1959
- Canada2 in 1959
- France2 in 1959
- Iceland2 in 1959
- India2 in 1959
- Peru2 in 1959
- Romania2 in 1959
- Tajikistan2 in 1959
- Timor Leste2 in 1959
- Armenia1 in 1959
- Bangladesh1 in 1959
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1959
- Bulgaria1 in 1959
- Costa Rica1 in 1959
- Croatia1 in 1959
- Dominica1 in 1959
- Dominican Republic1 in 1959
- Ecuador1 in 1959
- Georgia1 in 1959
- Greenland1 in 1959
- Iran1 in 1959
- Micronesia1 in 1959
- Montenegro1 in 1959
- Myanmar1 in 1959
- New Caledonia1 in 1959
- New Zealand1 in 1959
- North Macedonia1 in 1959
- Portugal1 in 1959
- Saint Helena1 in 1959
- Uzbekistan1 in 1959
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1959
- Zambia1 in 1959
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.