Earthquakes in 1977
The USGS located 3,580 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1977, 85 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 2,509 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M8.3 1977 Sumba, Indonesia Earthquake, Aug 19, 1977.
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 1977 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1977, by magnitude.
- 8.31977 Sumba, Indonesia Earthquake · 16 km deepIndonesia
- 7.6199 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga · 33 km deepTonga
- 7.5103 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.5105 km ESE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.566 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 19 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.52 km N of Spulber, Romania · 94 km deepRomania
- 7.4San Juan, Argentina · 13 km deepArgentina
- 7.2south of Tonga · 33 km deepTonga
- 7.2143 km W of Gizo, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.1east of the South Sandwich Islands · 33 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 7.034 km E of Dicamay, Philippines · 37 km deepPhilippines
- 6.922 km SSW of Dicabisagan, Philippines · 33 km deepPhilippines
- 6.948 km NNE of Bandar Abbas, Iran · 29 km deepIran
- 6.8Volcano Islands, Japan region · 33 km deepJapan
- 6.858 km N of Likisá, Timor Leste · 25 km deepTimor Leste
- 6.8Tonga region · 65 km deepTonga
- 6.752 km ESE of Adak, Alaska · 33 km deepAlaska
- 6.7north of New Zealand · 33 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.7Macquarie Island region · 33 km deep
- 6.759 km SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 6.7225 km WNW of Attu Station, Alaska · 33 km deepAlaska
- 6.6144 km NE of Massawa, Eritrea · 33 km deepEritrea
- 6.6Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska · 8 km deepAlaska
- 6.663 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea · 33 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.5western Xizang · 33 km deep
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1977 | 532 | 6.6 | 63 km NE of Angoram, Papua New Guinea |
| February 1977 | 451 | 6.7 | 225 km WNW of Attu Station, Alaska |
| March 1977 | 523 | 7.5 | 2 km N of Spulber, Romania |
| April 1977 | 495 | 7.6 | 199 km ESE of Hihifo, Tonga |
| May 1977 | 425 | 6.0 | 80 km SW of Nikolski, Alaska |
| June 1977 | 434 | 6.8 | Tonga region |
| July 1977 | 401 | 7.2 | 143 km W of Gizo, Solomon Islands |
| August 1977 | 499 | 8.3 | 1977 Sumba, Indonesia Earthquake |
| September 1977 | 612 | 6.6 | Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska |
| October 1977 | 530 | 7.2 | south of Tonga |
| November 1977 | 529 | 7.4 | San Juan, Argentina |
| December 1977 | 416 | 6.8 | Volcano Islands, Japan region |
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.
- California1,106 in 1977
- Hawaii863 in 1977
- Alaska300 in 1977
- Washington37 in 1977
- Guam31 in 1977
- Northern Mariana Islands30 in 1977
- Montana28 in 1977
- Nevada24 in 1977
- Oregon20 in 1977
- Arizona16 in 1977
- Idaho12 in 1977
- Utah9 in 1977
- Missouri6 in 1977
- South Carolina3 in 1977
- Texas3 in 1977
- Alabama2 in 1977
- Arkansas2 in 1977
- New Mexico2 in 1977
- Tennessee2 in 1977
- U.S. Virgin Islands2 in 1977
- Colorado1 in 1977
- Illinois1 in 1977
- Massachusetts1 in 1977
- Mississippi1 in 1977
- New Hampshire1 in 1977
- New York1 in 1977
- North Carolina1 in 1977
- Ohio1 in 1977
- Puerto Rico1 in 1977
- Virginia1 in 1977
- Wyoming1 in 1977
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.
- Indonesia461 in 1977
- Japan232 in 1977
- Tonga201 in 1977
- Philippines197 in 1977
- Fiji163 in 1977
- Papua New Guinea160 in 1977
- Solomon Islands144 in 1977
- Argentina138 in 1977
- Iran125 in 1977
- Russia123 in 1977
- Vanuatu105 in 1977
- Chile90 in 1977
- Peru69 in 1977
- Afghanistan60 in 1977
- China57 in 1977
- Timor Leste53 in 1977
- New Zealand52 in 1977
- India49 in 1977
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands45 in 1977
- Colombia33 in 1977
- Mexico32 in 1977
- Turkey31 in 1977
- Greece30 in 1977
- Tajikistan29 in 1977
- Ecuador27 in 1977
- Wallis and Futuna20 in 1977
- Guatemala19 in 1977
- Taiwan19 in 1977
- Italy17 in 1977
- New Caledonia15 in 1977
- Pakistan13 in 1977
- Panama13 in 1977
- Venezuela13 in 1977
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen12 in 1977
- Kyrgyzstan11 in 1977
- Bolivia10 in 1977
- Dominican Republic10 in 1977
- El Salvador10 in 1977
- Nicaragua10 in 1977
- Uzbekistan10 in 1977
- Saint Helena9 in 1977
- Costa Rica7 in 1977
- Iceland6 in 1977
- Myanmar6 in 1977
- Honduras5 in 1977
- Micronesia5 in 1977
- Portugal5 in 1977
- Canada4 in 1977
- Cayman Islands4 in 1977
- Romania4 in 1977
- Albania3 in 1977
- Bosnia and Herzegovina3 in 1977
- Bulgaria3 in 1977
- Democratic Republic of the Congo3 in 1977
- Guadeloupe3 in 1977
- Somalia3 in 1977
- Tanzania3 in 1977
- Yemen3 in 1977
- Algeria2 in 1977
- Croatia2 in 1977
- Ethiopia2 in 1977
- France2 in 1977
- Georgia2 in 1977
- Jamaica2 in 1977
- Martinique2 in 1977
- Nepal2 in 1977
- North Korea2 in 1977
- Norway2 in 1977
- Samoa2 in 1977
- South Africa2 in 1977
- Tunisia2 in 1977
- Uganda2 in 1977
- Anguilla1 in 1977
- Antigua and Barbuda1 in 1977
- Armenia1 in 1977
- Australia1 in 1977
- Azerbaijan1 in 1977
- Brazil1 in 1977
- Djibouti1 in 1977
- Dominica1 in 1977
- Eritrea1 in 1977
- Kazakhstan1 in 1977
- Kosovo1 in 1977
- Malawi1 in 1977
- Oman1 in 1977
- Palau1 in 1977
- Poland1 in 1977
- Rwanda1 in 1977
- Slovenia1 in 1977
- Spain1 in 1977
- Turkmenistan1 in 1977
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.