Earthquakes in 1976
The USGS located 3,596 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1976, 109 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 2,859 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.0 1976 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand Earthquake, Jan 14, 1976.
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 1976 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1976, by magnitude.
- 8.01976 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand Earthquake · 33 km deepNew Zealand
- 7.919 km WNW of Palimbang, Philippines · 33 km deepPhilippines
- 7.517 km NE of Penguanzhuang, China · 23 km deepChina
- 7.57 km N of Los Amates, Guatemala · 5 km deepGuatemala
- 7.46 km SW of Linxi, China · 26 km deepChina
- 7.347 km S of Do?ubayaz?t, Turkey · 36 km deepTurkey
- 7.1226 km SSW of Abepura, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
- 7.1214 km NW of Kiunga, Papua New Guinea · 33 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.012 km SSE of Jaqué, Panama · 3 km deepPanama
- 7.085 km SSE of Meulaboh, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0152 km ENE of Bhamo, Myanmar · 10 km deepMyanmar
- 7.027 km N of Gazli, Uzbekistan · 10 km deepUzbekistan
- 7.033 km NE of Gazli, Uzbekistan · 33 km deepUzbekistan
- 7.0104 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 41 km deepRussia
- 6.9121 km NNW of Jiangyou, China · 16 km deepChina
- 6.9118 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu · 52 km deepVanuatu
- 6.9169 km SW of Dali, China · 8 km deepChina
- 6.812 km NNE of Hinatuan, Philippines · 60 km deepPhilippines
- 6.812 km ESE of Olutanga, Philippines · 22 km deepPhilippines
- 6.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 35 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.8Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.7250 km W of Tofino, Canada · 10 km deepCanada
- 6.794 km NNW of Jiangyou, China · 33 km deepChina
- 6.739 km WSW of Jaqué, Panama · 22 km deepPanama
- 6.725 km SW of Esmeraldas, Ecuador · 9 km deepEcuador
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1976 | 746 | 8.0 | 1976 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand Earthquake |
| February 1976 | 442 | 7.5 | 7 km N of Los Amates, Guatemala |
| March 1976 | 468 | 6.8 | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand |
| April 1976 | 436 | 7.0 | 33 km NE of Gazli, Uzbekistan |
| May 1976 | 486 | 7.0 | 152 km ENE of Bhamo, Myanmar |
| June 1976 | 518 | 7.1 | 214 km NW of Kiunga, Papua New Guinea |
| July 1976 | 587 | 7.5 | 17 km NE of Penguanzhuang, China |
| August 1976 | 525 | 7.9 | 19 km WNW of Palimbang, Philippines |
| September 1976 | 512 | 6.5 | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand |
| October 1976 | 465 | 7.1 | 226 km SSW of Abepura, Indonesia |
| November 1976 | 511 | 7.3 | 47 km S of Do?ubayaz?t, Turkey |
| December 1976 | 535 | 6.7 | 250 km W of Tofino, Canada |
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.
- California1,324 in 1976
- Hawaii1,019 in 1976
- Alaska225 in 1976
- Nevada55 in 1976
- Northern Mariana Islands51 in 1976
- Oregon39 in 1976
- Montana38 in 1976
- Washington29 in 1976
- Guam18 in 1976
- Idaho12 in 1976
- Arizona9 in 1976
- Utah8 in 1976
- Arkansas4 in 1976
- Wyoming4 in 1976
- Missouri3 in 1976
- Oklahoma3 in 1976
- Texas3 in 1976
- U.S. Virgin Islands3 in 1976
- Massachusetts2 in 1976
- New Mexico2 in 1976
- Georgia1 in 1976
- Kentucky1 in 1976
- Maryland1 in 1976
- Mississippi1 in 1976
- New Jersey1 in 1976
- Rhode Island1 in 1976
- Virginia1 in 1976
- West Virginia1 in 1976
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.
- Russia275 in 1976
- Indonesia271 in 1976
- Philippines241 in 1976
- Japan235 in 1976
- Papua New Guinea217 in 1976
- Fiji147 in 1976
- China132 in 1976
- New Zealand109 in 1976
- Vanuatu106 in 1976
- Tonga99 in 1976
- Chile81 in 1976
- Mexico66 in 1976
- Peru63 in 1976
- Colombia57 in 1976
- Panama53 in 1976
- Greece51 in 1976
- Solomon Islands51 in 1976
- Italy48 in 1976
- Afghanistan44 in 1976
- Turkey43 in 1976
- Guatemala37 in 1976
- Iran36 in 1976
- Uzbekistan34 in 1976
- Argentina31 in 1976
- Iceland30 in 1976
- India28 in 1976
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands26 in 1976
- Myanmar25 in 1976
- Taiwan25 in 1976
- Tajikistan23 in 1976
- Canada21 in 1976
- Ecuador20 in 1976
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen18 in 1976
- Timor Leste17 in 1976
- El Salvador16 in 1976
- Kyrgyzstan14 in 1976
- Nicaragua14 in 1976
- Saint Helena14 in 1976
- Costa Rica12 in 1976
- Malaysia10 in 1976
- Bolivia9 in 1976
- New Caledonia8 in 1976
- Pakistan8 in 1976
- Venezuela8 in 1976
- Greenland7 in 1976
- Dominican Republic6 in 1976
- Guadeloupe6 in 1976
- Honduras6 in 1976
- Micronesia6 in 1976
- Azerbaijan5 in 1976
- Cuba5 in 1976
- Samoa5 in 1976
- Saudi Arabia4 in 1976
- Democratic Republic of the Congo3 in 1976
- Grenada3 in 1976
- Nepal3 in 1976
- Wallis and Futuna3 in 1976
- Yemen3 in 1976
- Albania2 in 1976
- Brazil2 in 1976
- Croatia2 in 1976
- Cyprus2 in 1976
- South Africa2 in 1976
- Spain2 in 1976
- Switzerland2 in 1976
- Angola1 in 1976
- Antigua and Barbuda1 in 1976
- Australia1 in 1976
- Austria1 in 1976
- Belgium1 in 1976
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1976
- Cayman Islands1 in 1976
- Estonia1 in 1976
- Ethiopia1 in 1976
- Falkland Islands1 in 1976
- France1 in 1976
- Gabon1 in 1976
- Guyana1 in 1976
- Kazakhstan1 in 1976
- Mauritius1 in 1976
- Mozambique1 in 1976
- Palau1 in 1976
- Portugal1 in 1976
- Romania1 in 1976
- Somalia1 in 1976
- South Korea1 in 1976
- Tanzania1 in 1976
- Trinidad and Tobago1 in 1976
- Turkmenistan1 in 1976
- Zambia1 in 1976
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.