Earthquakes in 1971
The USGS located 921 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1971, 143 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 1,519 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.1 1971 Bougainville Earthquake, Jul 26, 1971.
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 1971 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1971, by magnitude.
- 8.11971 Bougainville Earthquake · 52 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 8.01971 New Britain Earthquake · 15 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.819 km NNE of Hacienda La Calera, Chile · 61 km deepChile
- 7.7120 km SW of Abepura, Indonesia · 27 km deepIndonesia
- 7.655 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia · 20 km deepRussia
- 7.498 km ESE of Sucúa, Ecuador · 113 km deepEcuador
- 7.351 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia · 126 km deepRussia
- 7.350 km W of Gornozavodsk, Russia · 18 km deepRussia
- 7.1153 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 110 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.1central Mid-Atlantic Ridge · 10 km deep
- 7.090 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 50 km deepJapan
- 7.0South Shetland Islands · 15 km deep
- 7.069 km SW of Adak, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
- 7.061 km S of Bengkulu, Indonesia · 81 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0102 km SW of Padangsidempuan, Indonesia · 27 km deepIndonesia
- 7.085 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea · 40 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.9113 km NNW of Myaundzha, Russia · 10 km deepRussia
- 6.947 km WNW of Lae, Papua New Guinea · 112 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.961 km SSW of Adak, Alaska · 30 km deepAlaska
- 6.9236 km W of Tual, Indonesia · 129 km deepIndonesia
- 6.999 km WNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina · 189 km deepArgentina
- 6.9190 km WNW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 30 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.9Sea of Okhotsk · 539 km deep
- 6.856 km W of Shebunino, Russia · 27 km deepRussia
- 6.816 km ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu · 52 km deepVanuatu
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1971 | 126 | 7.7 | 120 km SW of Abepura, Indonesia |
| February 1971 | 389 | 7.0 | South Shetland Islands |
| March 1971 | 159 | 6.6 | 37 km N of Goroka, Papua New Guinea |
| April 1971 | 168 | 7.0 | 61 km S of Bengkulu, Indonesia |
| May 1971 | 159 | 7.0 | 69 km SW of Adak, Alaska |
| June 1971 | 146 | 6.7 | 242 km SE of Attu Station, Alaska |
| July 1971 | 221 | 8.1 | 1971 Bougainville Earthquake |
| August 1971 | 177 | 7.1 | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge |
| September 1971 | 210 | 7.3 | 50 km W of Gornozavodsk, Russia |
| October 1971 | 165 | 6.8 | 16 km ESE of Luganville, Vanuatu |
| November 1971 | 124 | 7.3 | 51 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia |
| December 1971 | 309 | 7.6 | 55 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia |
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.
- Papua New Guinea88 in 1971
- Indonesia69 in 1971
- Japan65 in 1971
- Turkey58 in 1971
- Russia52 in 1971
- China47 in 1971
- Chile42 in 1971
- Philippines30 in 1971
- Iran23 in 1971
- Greece21 in 1971
- Peru21 in 1971
- Tonga21 in 1971
- Vanuatu19 in 1971
- Mexico18 in 1971
- Fiji17 in 1971
- Taiwan14 in 1971
- Solomon Islands12 in 1971
- India11 in 1971
- Myanmar11 in 1971
- Argentina8 in 1971
- Pakistan8 in 1971
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands8 in 1971
- Canada7 in 1971
- Ecuador6 in 1971
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen6 in 1971
- Saint Helena5 in 1971
- Azerbaijan4 in 1971
- Dominican Republic4 in 1971
- Guatemala4 in 1971
- Iceland4 in 1971
- Kyrgyzstan4 in 1971
- New Zealand4 in 1971
- Wallis and Futuna4 in 1971
- Italy3 in 1971
- Micronesia3 in 1971
- Nicaragua3 in 1971
- Palau3 in 1971
- Tajikistan3 in 1971
- Afghanistan2 in 1971
- Albania2 in 1971
- Costa Rica2 in 1971
- Greenland2 in 1971
- Armenia1 in 1971
- Bolivia1 in 1971
- Colombia1 in 1971
- El Salvador1 in 1971
- Ethiopia1 in 1971
- France1 in 1971
- Honduras1 in 1971
- Iraq1 in 1971
- Kazakhstan1 in 1971
- Mauritius1 in 1971
- Montenegro1 in 1971
- Morocco1 in 1971
- New Caledonia1 in 1971
- Oman1 in 1971
- Panama1 in 1971
- Portugal1 in 1971
- Somalia1 in 1971
- Timor Leste1 in 1971
- Uzbekistan1 in 1971
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.