Earthquakes in 1969
The USGS located 646 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1969, 144 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 1,043 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.2 1969 Hokkaido Toho-oki Earthquake, Aug 12, 1969.
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 1969 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1969, by magnitude.
- 8.21969 Hokkaido Toho-oki Earthquake · 29 km deepJapan
- 7.8188 km SW of Sagres, Portugal · 15 km deepPortugal
- 7.6223 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines · 61 km deepPhilippines
- 7.5209 km WSW of Sinabang, Indonesia · 21 km deepIndonesia
- 7.4172 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 33 km deepRussia
- 7.2187 km N of Baukau, Timor Leste · 431 km deepTimor Leste
- 7.2south of the Fiji Islands · 660 km deepFiji
- 7.2162 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe · 11 km deepGuadeloupe
- 7.141 km NNW of Majene, Indonesia · 10 km deepIndonesia
- 7.178 km W of Buala, Solomon Islands · 61 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.136 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 113 km deepVanuatu
- 7.193 km SE of Shikotan, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 7.137 km ESE of Tsunō, Japan · 37 km deepJapan
- 7.0Macquarie Island region · 10 km deep
- 7.0121 km ESE of Bitung, Indonesia · 28 km deepIndonesia
- 7.070 km N of Mombetsu, Japan · 245 km deepJapan
- 6.9231 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 26 km deepAlaska
- 6.9106 km NW of Longgang, China · 12 km deepChina
- 6.9120 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 29 km deepRussia
- 6.9143 km WNW of Lata, Solomon Islands · 15 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.8149 km SSE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 16 km deepRussia
- 6.810 km WSW of Kula, Turkey · 10 km deepTurkey
- 6.8220 km SE of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 27 km deepPhilippines
- 6.7136 km E of Shikotan, Russia · 25 km deepRussia
- 6.7250 km SE of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 60 km deepPhilippines
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1969 | 118 | 7.6 | 223 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines |
| February 1969 | 104 | 7.8 | 188 km SW of Sagres, Portugal |
| March 1969 | 120 | 6.8 | 10 km WSW of Kula, Turkey |
| April 1969 | 109 | 7.1 | 37 km ESE of Tsunō, Japan |
| May 1969 | 135 | 6.9 | 231 km WSW of Adak, Alaska |
| June 1969 | 137 | 7.0 | Macquarie Island region |
| July 1969 | 104 | 6.9 | 106 km NW of Longgang, China |
| August 1969 | 180 | 8.2 | 1969 Hokkaido Toho-oki Earthquake |
| September 1969 | 163 | 6.7 | 194 km WSW of Adak, Alaska |
| October 1969 | 178 | 6.6 | 16 km S of Comas, Peru |
| November 1969 | 164 | 7.5 | 209 km WSW of Sinabang, Indonesia |
| December 1969 | 118 | 7.2 | 162 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe |
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.
- Russia93 in 1969
- Indonesia58 in 1969
- Japan46 in 1969
- Mexico28 in 1969
- Philippines26 in 1969
- Peru23 in 1969
- China17 in 1969
- Papua New Guinea17 in 1969
- Iran16 in 1969
- Greece15 in 1969
- Turkey15 in 1969
- Chile13 in 1969
- Tonga13 in 1969
- Vanuatu13 in 1969
- Solomon Islands12 in 1969
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands11 in 1969
- Ethiopia9 in 1969
- Guadeloupe9 in 1969
- Tajikistan9 in 1969
- India8 in 1969
- Fiji7 in 1969
- Bosnia and Herzegovina5 in 1969
- Ecuador5 in 1969
- Nicaragua5 in 1969
- Pakistan4 in 1969
- Portugal4 in 1969
- Afghanistan3 in 1969
- Albania3 in 1969
- Argentina3 in 1969
- Kyrgyzstan3 in 1969
- Egypt2 in 1969
- Honduras2 in 1969
- Myanmar2 in 1969
- New Zealand2 in 1969
- Panama2 in 1969
- Taiwan2 in 1969
- Timor Leste2 in 1969
- Turkmenistan2 in 1969
- Venezuela2 in 1969
- Azerbaijan1 in 1969
- Bangladesh1 in 1969
- Bhutan1 in 1969
- Bolivia1 in 1969
- Canada1 in 1969
- Colombia1 in 1969
- Costa Rica1 in 1969
- El Salvador1 in 1969
- Ghana1 in 1969
- Guatemala1 in 1969
- Iceland1 in 1969
- Kazakhstan1 in 1969
- Micronesia1 in 1969
- Mongolia1 in 1969
- Romania1 in 1969
- Saint Helena1 in 1969
- Saudi Arabia1 in 1969
- South Africa1 in 1969
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.