Earthquakes in 1974
The USGS located 3,059 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1974, 97 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 2,770 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.6 77 km WSW of Callao, Peru, Oct 3, 1974.
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 1974 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1974, by magnitude.
- 7.677 km WSW of Callao, Peru · 13 km deepPeru
- 7.525 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda · 47 km deepAntigua and Barbuda
- 7.3134 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan · 9 km deepKyrgyzstan
- 7.333 km SSW of Boca de Cupé, Panama · 12 km deepPanama
- 7.287 km SW of Callao, Peru · 6 km deepPeru
- 7.2282 km SW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 48 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.2Kermadec Islands region · 33 km deep
- 7.270 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 34 km deepVanuatu
- 7.137 km NW of Carahue, Chile · 36 km deepChile
- 7.1118 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 40 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.0126 km NW of Gizo, Solomon Islands · 34 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.9181 km SW of Sibolga, Indonesia · 20 km deepIndonesia
- 6.97 km ENE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 33 km deepVanuatu
- 6.9Reykjanes Ridge · 33 km deep
- 6.8209 km SW of Padang, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
- 6.872 km WSW of Xunchang, China · 11 km deepChina
- 6.769 km S of Shikotan, Russia · 43 km deepRussia
- 6.7220 km SW of Altai, Mongolia · 33 km deepMongolia
- 6.6Kermadec Islands region · 33 km deep
- 6.6South Indian Ocean · 33 km deep
- 6.6Southwest Indian Ridge · 33 km deep
- 6.6111 km NW of Gizo, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.5208 km SSE of Amahai, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
- 6.5Banda Sea · 117 km deep
- 6.5260 km SSW of Kroya, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1974 | 414 | 7.2 | 70 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu |
| February 1974 | 400 | 7.1 | 118 km S of Panguna, Papua New Guinea |
| March 1974 | 409 | 6.6 | 111 km NW of Gizo, Solomon Islands |
| April 1974 | 381 | 6.1 | south of Tonga |
| May 1974 | 433 | 6.8 | 72 km WSW of Xunchang, China |
| June 1974 | 452 | 6.6 | South Indian Ocean |
| July 1974 | 511 | 7.3 | 33 km SSW of Boca de Cupé, Panama |
| August 1974 | 600 | 7.3 | 134 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan |
| September 1974 | 394 | 6.7 | 69 km S of Shikotan, Russia |
| October 1974 | 486 | 7.6 | 77 km WSW of Callao, Peru |
| November 1974 | 479 | 7.2 | 87 km SW of Callao, Peru |
| December 1974 | 650 | 6.9 | 181 km SW of Sibolga, Indonesia |
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.
- California1,527 in 1974
- Hawaii706 in 1974
- Alaska359 in 1974
- Northern Mariana Islands28 in 1974
- Guam24 in 1974
- Oregon20 in 1974
- Washington20 in 1974
- Nevada14 in 1974
- Montana12 in 1974
- Arkansas9 in 1974
- Missouri8 in 1974
- Puerto Rico7 in 1974
- Arizona4 in 1974
- U.S. Virgin Islands4 in 1974
- Illinois3 in 1974
- South Carolina3 in 1974
- Utah3 in 1974
- Georgia2 in 1974
- Kentucky2 in 1974
- Tennessee2 in 1974
- Virginia2 in 1974
- Alabama1 in 1974
- Colorado1 in 1974
- New Mexico1 in 1974
- New York1 in 1974
- Ohio1 in 1974
- Oklahoma1 in 1974
- Pennsylvania1 in 1974
- Rhode Island1 in 1974
- Texas1 in 1974
- West Virginia1 in 1974
- Wyoming1 in 1974
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.
- Japan277 in 1974
- Indonesia256 in 1974
- Papua New Guinea199 in 1974
- Vanuatu145 in 1974
- Fiji127 in 1974
- Russia124 in 1974
- Tonga119 in 1974
- Chile109 in 1974
- Peru84 in 1974
- Philippines81 in 1974
- Solomon Islands70 in 1974
- Panama59 in 1974
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands54 in 1974
- Colombia52 in 1974
- Mexico50 in 1974
- Tajikistan49 in 1974
- China43 in 1974
- Kyrgyzstan42 in 1974
- Argentina40 in 1974
- New Zealand37 in 1974
- Afghanistan34 in 1974
- Greece29 in 1974
- Guatemala26 in 1974
- India22 in 1974
- Timor Leste22 in 1974
- Taiwan21 in 1974
- Ecuador18 in 1974
- Iran18 in 1974
- Pakistan16 in 1974
- Iceland14 in 1974
- Nicaragua14 in 1974
- Saint Helena14 in 1974
- New Caledonia12 in 1974
- Wallis and Futuna12 in 1974
- El Salvador10 in 1974
- Greenland9 in 1974
- Myanmar9 in 1974
- Turkey8 in 1974
- Antigua and Barbuda7 in 1974
- Costa Rica7 in 1974
- Dominican Republic7 in 1974
- Italy7 in 1974
- Venezuela7 in 1974
- Yemen7 in 1974
- Canada6 in 1974
- Nepal6 in 1974
- Bolivia5 in 1974
- Micronesia5 in 1974
- Portugal5 in 1974
- Algeria4 in 1974
- Mongolia4 in 1974
- South Africa4 in 1974
- Albania3 in 1974
- Barbados3 in 1974
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen3 in 1974
- Uzbekistan3 in 1974
- Zambia3 in 1974
- Bosnia and Herzegovina2 in 1974
- Norway2 in 1974
- Palau2 in 1974
- Romania2 in 1974
- Samoa2 in 1974
- Saudi Arabia2 in 1974
- Australia1 in 1974
- Bangladesh1 in 1974
- Bulgaria1 in 1974
- Burundi1 in 1974
- Cabo Verde1 in 1974
- Cayman Islands1 in 1974
- Croatia1 in 1974
- Democratic Republic of the Congo1 in 1974
- Egypt1 in 1974
- Ethiopia1 in 1974
- France1 in 1974
- Gabon1 in 1974
- Haiti1 in 1974
- Honduras1 in 1974
- Iraq1 in 1974
- Kazakhstan1 in 1974
- Libya1 in 1974
- Madagascar1 in 1974
- Malawi1 in 1974
- Martinique1 in 1974
- Mauritius1 in 1974
- Slovenia1 in 1974
- Somalia1 in 1974
- Syria1 in 1974
- Thailand1 in 1974
- Tunisia1 in 1974
- Uganda1 in 1974
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.