All earthquakes

Earthquakes in 1978

The USGS located 3,307 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1978, 90 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 2,272 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.7 2 km ESE of San Agustín Loxicha, Mexico, Nov 29, 1978.

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.

19771979

Map

Where the largest earthquakes of 1978 were located. Select one for its page.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The largest

The 25 largest of 1978, by magnitude.

  1. 7.72 km ESE of San Agustín Loxicha, Mexico · 18 km deepMexico
  2. 7.768 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan · 44 km deepJapan
  3. 7.6134 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 33 km deepRussia
  4. 7.555 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 33 km deepRussia
  5. 7.452 km ESE of Tabas, Iran · 33 km deepIran
  6. 7.485 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan · 17 km deepTaiwan
  7. 7.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 33 km deepNew Zealand
  8. 7.178 km SSE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
  9. 7.123 km ENE of Tyup, Kyrgyzstan · 33 km deepKyrgyzstan
  10. 7.094 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan · 33 km deepTaiwan
  11. 7.019 km N of Nandayure, Costa Rica · 56 km deepCosta Rica
  12. 7.0206 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga · 33 km deepTonga
  13. 6.915 km SSE of Malim, Philippines · 33 km deepPhilippines
  14. 6.990 km SSE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
  15. 6.923 km NNW of Kalawit, Philippines · 24 km deepPhilippines
  16. 6.9244 km SE of Shing?, Japan · 439 km deepJapan
  17. 6.838 km SE of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan · 40 km deepKyrgyzstan
  18. 6.8Volcano Islands, Japan region · 33 km deepJapan
  19. 6.8176 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 33 km deepRussia
  20. 6.8142 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 46 km deepRussia
  21. 6.781 km NE of Otrada, Russia · 91 km deepRussia
  22. 6.7192 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 25 km deepAlaska
  23. 6.763 km NNE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu · 160 km deepVanuatu
  24. 6.7297 km S of Praya, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
  25. 6.7160 km SSE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 33 km deepRussia

Month by month

Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.

MonthQuakesLargestWhere
January 19784236.623 km SE of It?, Japan
February 19783917.2Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
March 19786357.6134 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia
April 19784216.7297 km S of Praya, Indonesia
May 19784516.8Volcano Islands, Japan region
June 19783897.768 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan
July 19783857.485 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan
August 19784867.019 km N of Nandayure, Costa Rica
September 19784457.452 km ESE of Tabas, Iran
October 19784195.9124 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea
November 19784637.72 km ESE of San Agustín Loxicha, Mexico
December 19784497.094 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan

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.

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.

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.