Earthquakes in 1964
The USGS located 596 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1964, 144 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 695 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M9.2 The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake, Mar 27, 1964.
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 1964 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1964, by magnitude.
- 9.2The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.8South Sandwich Islands region · 125 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 7.627 km NW of Murakami, Japan · 16 km deepJapan
- 7.310 km SW of Villa Nicolás Bravo, Mexico · 93 km deepMexico
- 7.254 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu · 130 km deepVanuatu
- 7.0Auckland Islands, New Zealand region · 25 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.083 km WSW of Fukaura, Japan · 27 km deepJapan
- 7.0Kuril Islands · 30 km deep
- 7.093 km SE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 50 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.0160 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 388 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.968 km ESE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 49 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.9215 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste · 586 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.95 km W of Banda Aceh, Indonesia · 18 km deepIndonesia
- 6.9265 km SSE of Amahai, Indonesia · 190 km deepIndonesia
- 6.9171 km SW of Akhiok, Alaska · 26 km deepAlaska
- 6.9150 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu · 138 km deepVanuatu
- 6.812 km WNW of Karacabey, Turkey · 19 km deepTurkey
- 6.849 km ESE of Nemuro, Japan · 60 km deepJapan
- 6.839 km SE of Shikotan, Russia · 50 km deepRussia
- 6.880 km ENE of Wabag, Papua New Guinea · 108 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.8250 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste · 358 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.7south of the Fiji Islands · 589 km deepFiji
- 6.7east of Severnaya Zemlya · 10 km deep
- 6.7156 km W of Diego de Almagro, Chile · 10 km deepChile
- 6.747 km WNW of Luwuk, Indonesia · 25 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1964 | 74 | 6.9 | 150 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu |
| February 1964 | 69 | 6.9 | 171 km SW of Akhiok, Alaska |
| March 1964 | 131 | 9.2 | The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake |
| April 1964 | 116 | 6.9 | 5 km W of Banda Aceh, Indonesia |
| May 1964 | 95 | 7.8 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| June 1964 | 95 | 7.6 | 27 km NW of Murakami, Japan |
| July 1964 | 97 | 7.3 | 10 km SW of Villa Nicolás Bravo, Mexico |
| August 1964 | 89 | 7.0 | 160 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea |
| September 1964 | 91 | 7.0 | Auckland Islands, New Zealand region |
| October 1964 | 85 | 6.9 | 215 km NW of Maubara, Timor Leste |
| November 1964 | 89 | 7.0 | 93 km SE of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea |
| December 1964 | 85 | 6.7 | 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.
- Russia46 in 1964
- Indonesia39 in 1964
- Japan35 in 1964
- Papua New Guinea28 in 1964
- Iran24 in 1964
- Tonga13 in 1964
- Mexico11 in 1964
- Philippines11 in 1964
- Turkey11 in 1964
- Greece10 in 1964
- India9 in 1964
- Chile8 in 1964
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands8 in 1964
- China7 in 1964
- Vanuatu7 in 1964
- Ecuador6 in 1964
- Saint Helena6 in 1964
- Taiwan6 in 1964
- Fiji5 in 1964
- Myanmar5 in 1964
- Afghanistan4 in 1964
- New Zealand4 in 1964
- Peru4 in 1964
- Solomon Islands4 in 1964
- Argentina3 in 1964
- Canada3 in 1964
- Guatemala3 in 1964
- Bhutan2 in 1964
- Brazil2 in 1964
- Dominican Republic2 in 1964
- Iraq2 in 1964
- Micronesia2 in 1964
- Nepal2 in 1964
- Nicaragua2 in 1964
- Portugal2 in 1964
- Timor Leste2 in 1964
- Turkmenistan2 in 1964
- Azerbaijan1 in 1964
- Bolivia1 in 1964
- Colombia1 in 1964
- Croatia1 in 1964
- Ethiopia1 in 1964
- Guadeloupe1 in 1964
- Iceland1 in 1964
- Kazakhstan1 in 1964
- Kyrgyzstan1 in 1964
- Martinique1 in 1964
- Morocco1 in 1964
- New Caledonia1 in 1964
- Panama1 in 1964
- Spain1 in 1964
- Switzerland1 in 1964
- Tajikistan1 in 1964
- Tanzania1 in 1964
- Venezuela1 in 1964
- Yemen1 in 1964
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.