Earthquakes in 1962
The USGS located 243 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1962, 98 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 763 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.5 262 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga, May 22, 1962.
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 1962 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1962, by magnitude.
- 7.5262 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga · 390 km deepTonga
- 7.3137 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan · 28 km deepJapan
- 7.259 km SSE of Burica, Panama · 25 km deepPanama
- 7.221 km SSE of Taco Pozo, Argentina · 589 km deepArgentina
- 7.1186 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste · 30 km deepTimor Leste
- 7.162 km SE of Obihiro, Japan · 60 km deepJapan
- 7.115 km WSW of Angol, Chile · 30 km deepChile
- 7.047 km SSE of T?kest?n, Iran · 15 km deepIran
- 7.01 km SSW of Ejido Nuevo, Mexico · 25 km deepMexico
- 7.0Scotia Sea · 15 km deep
- 6.9northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 10 km deep
- 6.9Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands · 635 km deepNorthern Mariana Islands
- 6.840 km SE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile · 125 km deepChile
- 6.81 km SW of San Isidro Gallinero (El Gallinero), Mexico · 25 km deepMexico
- 6.878 km S of Boca Chica, Panama · 30 km deepPanama
- 6.751 km ESE of Farkh?r, Afghanistan · 216 km deepAfghanistan
- 6.7Komandorskiye Ostrova, Russia region · 23 km deepRussia
- 6.6185 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 114 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.641 km ENE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea · 25 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.668 km NNE of Borgne, Haiti · 25 km deepHaiti
- 6.6northern Qinghai, China · 17 km deepChina
- 6.6Izu Islands, Japan region · 431 km deepJapan
- 6.6Volcano Islands, Japan region · 269 km deepJapan
- 6.514 km SSE of Burica, Panama · 25 km deepPanama
- 6.5Ryukyu Islands, Japan · 23 km deepJapan
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1962 | 48 | 6.5 | 3 km NNW of Matanzas, Dominican Republic |
| February 1962 | 66 | 7.1 | 15 km WSW of Angol, Chile |
| March 1962 | 66 | 6.9 | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| April 1962 | 72 | 7.3 | 137 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan |
| May 1962 | 77 | 7.5 | 262 km WNW of Haveluloto, Tonga |
| June 1962 | 97 | 6.5 | Ryukyu Islands, Japan |
| July 1962 | 84 | 7.2 | 59 km SSE of Burica, Panama |
| August 1962 | 94 | 6.8 | 40 km SE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile |
| September 1962 | 76 | 7.0 | 47 km SSE of T?kest?n, Iran |
| October 1962 | 83 | 6.5 | 42 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan |
| November 1962 | 79 | 6.3 | southern East Pacific Rise |
| December 1962 | 117 | 7.2 | 21 km SSE of Taco Pozo, Argentina |
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.
- Japan28 in 1962
- Tonga13 in 1962
- Russia11 in 1962
- Chile9 in 1962
- Greece8 in 1962
- Indonesia8 in 1962
- Vanuatu8 in 1962
- China7 in 1962
- Iran7 in 1962
- Panama7 in 1962
- Papua New Guinea7 in 1962
- Philippines7 in 1962
- Mexico6 in 1962
- India5 in 1962
- Italy3 in 1962
- New Zealand3 in 1962
- Peru3 in 1962
- Saint Helena3 in 1962
- Solomon Islands3 in 1962
- Afghanistan2 in 1962
- Argentina2 in 1962
- Colombia2 in 1962
- Croatia2 in 1962
- Fiji2 in 1962
- Pakistan2 in 1962
- Albania1 in 1962
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1962
- Canada1 in 1962
- Cayman Islands1 in 1962
- Democratic Republic of the Congo1 in 1962
- Dominican Republic1 in 1962
- Ecuador1 in 1962
- Eritrea1 in 1962
- Haiti1 in 1962
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1962
- Micronesia1 in 1962
- New Caledonia1 in 1962
- Palau1 in 1962
- Taiwan1 in 1962
- Timor Leste1 in 1962
- Wallis and Futuna1 in 1962
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.