Earthquakes in 1963
The USGS located 355 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1963, 129 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 931 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.5 1963 Kuril Islands Earthquake, Oct 13, 1963.
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 1963 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1963, by magnitude.
- 8.51963 Kuril Islands Earthquake · 35 km deep
- 8.11963 Banda Sea Earthquake · 110 km deep
- 7.8217 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 28 km deepRussia
- 7.750 km N of Sandia, Peru · 550 km deepPeru
- 7.7east of the Kuril Islands · 15 km deep
- 7.6132 km SW of Tarauacá, Brazil · 591 km deepBrazil
- 7.6south of the Fiji Islands · 55 km deepFiji
- 7.549 km WSW of Wau, Papua New Guinea · 187 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.428 km NW of Lata, Solomon Islands · 35 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.3Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 10 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.255 km WNW of Lata, Solomon Islands · 45 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.251 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan · 30 km deepTaiwan
- 7.1197 km SSE of Sofifi, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
- 7.1204 km SSE of Sofifi, Indonesia · 30 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0164 km N of Pamanukan, Indonesia · 662 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0217 km ENE of Levuka, Fiji · 570 km deepFiji
- 7.0124 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 38 km deepRussia
- 6.928 km W of Paramonga, Peru · 64 km deepPeru
- 6.9central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 15 km deep
- 6.9Kuril Islands · 25 km deep
- 6.9251 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia · 30 km deepRussia
- 6.941 km W of Siglufjörður, Iceland · 10 km deepIceland
- 6.865 km NNW of Isangel, Vanuatu · 143 km deepVanuatu
- 6.8South Sandwich Islands region · 25 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.8central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 20 km deep
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1963 | 79 | 6.8 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| February 1963 | 49 | 7.5 | 49 km WSW of Wau, Papua New Guinea |
| March 1963 | 99 | 7.7 | east of the Kuril Islands |
| April 1963 | 69 | 7.1 | 197 km SSE of Sofifi, Indonesia |
| May 1963 | 212 | 6.9 | 251 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia |
| June 1963 | 88 | 6.9 | Kuril Islands |
| July 1963 | 161 | 6.8 | south of the Fiji Islands |
| August 1963 | 87 | 7.7 | 50 km N of Sandia, Peru |
| September 1963 | 92 | 7.4 | 28 km NW of Lata, Solomon Islands |
| October 1963 | 173 | 8.5 | 1963 Kuril Islands Earthquake |
| November 1963 | 73 | 8.1 | 1963 Banda Sea Earthquake |
| December 1963 | 63 | 7.6 | south of the Fiji 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.
- Russia37 in 1963
- Indonesia31 in 1963
- Japan22 in 1963
- Papua New Guinea18 in 1963
- Tonga18 in 1963
- New Zealand13 in 1963
- Fiji11 in 1963
- Chile9 in 1963
- Mexico8 in 1963
- Peru8 in 1963
- Philippines8 in 1963
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands7 in 1963
- Taiwan6 in 1963
- China5 in 1963
- Solomon Islands5 in 1963
- Brazil3 in 1963
- Italy3 in 1963
- Turkey3 in 1963
- Vanuatu3 in 1963
- Zambia3 in 1963
- Ecuador2 in 1963
- Iceland2 in 1963
- India2 in 1963
- Iran2 in 1963
- Mongolia2 in 1963
- Pakistan2 in 1963
- Saint Helena2 in 1963
- South Korea2 in 1963
- Timor Leste2 in 1963
- Afghanistan1 in 1963
- Algeria1 in 1963
- Argentina1 in 1963
- Azerbaijan1 in 1963
- Bangladesh1 in 1963
- Canada1 in 1963
- Colombia1 in 1963
- Costa Rica1 in 1963
- Djibouti1 in 1963
- Georgia1 in 1963
- Greece1 in 1963
- Kazakhstan1 in 1963
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1963
- Libya1 in 1963
- Nicaragua1 in 1963
- North Macedonia1 in 1963
- Panama1 in 1963
- Portugal1 in 1963
- Slovenia1 in 1963
- Tajikistan1 in 1963
- Venezuela1 in 1963
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.