Earthquakes in 1980
The USGS located 3,485 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1980, 95 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 4,690 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.9 199 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands, Jul 18, 1980.
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 1980 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1980, by magnitude.
- 7.9199 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.5196 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands · 33 km deepSolomon Islands
- 7.33 km NNE of Chlef, Algeria · 10 km deepAlgeria
- 7.2The 1980 Eureka, California Earthquake · 19 km deepCalifornia
- 7.2207 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia · 33 km deepNew Caledonia
- 7.030 km S of Shikotan, Russia · 44 km deepRussia
- 6.92 km N of Cairano, Italy · 10 km deepItaly
- 6.980 km E of Nikolski, Alaska · 33 km deepAlaska
- 6.8212 km SW of Port McNeill, Canada · 10 km deepCanada
- 6.855 km ENE of Cortes, Philippines · 54 km deepPhilippines
- 6.7south of Africa · 10 km deep
- 6.7226 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 33 km deepNew Caledonia
- 6.7241 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 33 km deepNew Caledonia
- 6.7156 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu · 48 km deepVanuatu
- 6.7213 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu · 33 km deepVanuatu
- 6.7south of the Fiji Islands · 79 km deepFiji
- 6.7southeast of the Loyalty Islands · 38 km deep
- 6.729 km NE of Ribeira Seca, Portugal · 10 km deepPortugal
- 6.6Kermadec Islands, New Zealand · 49 km deepNew Zealand
- 6.651 km S of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea · 53 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.5293 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia · 33 km deepRussia
- 6.5271 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia · 33 km deepNew Caledonia
- 6.515 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea · 33 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 6.540 km NNE of Dipayal, Nepal · 18 km deepNepal
- 6.574 km SW of Angoram, Papua New Guinea · 84 km deepPapua New Guinea
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1980 | 575 | 6.7 | 29 km NE of Ribeira Seca, Portugal |
| February 1980 | 506 | 7.0 | 30 km S of Shikotan, Russia |
| March 1980 | 649 | 6.9 | 80 km E of Nikolski, Alaska |
| April 1980 | 749 | 6.7 | south of the Fiji Islands |
| May 1980 | 1,369 | 6.4 | west of Macquarie Island |
| June 1980 | 768 | 6.8 | 55 km ENE of Cortes, Philippines |
| July 1980 | 628 | 7.9 | 199 km S of Lata, Solomon Islands |
| August 1980 | 530 | 6.4 | 19 km NNE of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala |
| September 1980 | 451 | 6.5 | 15 km SW of Aitape, Papua New Guinea |
| October 1980 | 505 | 7.3 | 3 km NNE of Chlef, Algeria |
| November 1980 | 596 | 7.2 | The 1980 Eureka, California Earthquake |
| December 1980 | 501 | 6.8 | 212 km SW of Port McNeill, 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.
- California2,621 in 1980
- Washington863 in 1980
- Hawaii624 in 1980
- Alaska306 in 1980
- Nevada128 in 1980
- Oregon24 in 1980
- Northern Mariana Islands23 in 1980
- Guam19 in 1980
- Montana13 in 1980
- Arizona11 in 1980
- Utah11 in 1980
- Idaho7 in 1980
- Missouri5 in 1980
- U.S. Virgin Islands5 in 1980
- Kentucky4 in 1980
- Tennessee4 in 1980
- North Carolina3 in 1980
- Connecticut2 in 1980
- Illinois2 in 1980
- New Mexico2 in 1980
- New York2 in 1980
- Pennsylvania2 in 1980
- Puerto Rico2 in 1980
- Texas2 in 1980
- Massachusetts1 in 1980
- Mississippi1 in 1980
- Oklahoma1 in 1980
- South Carolina1 in 1980
- West Virginia1 in 1980
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.
- Indonesia322 in 1980
- Japan270 in 1980
- Philippines264 in 1980
- Russia164 in 1980
- Fiji151 in 1980
- Papua New Guinea141 in 1980
- Tonga128 in 1980
- Vanuatu111 in 1980
- Chile85 in 1980
- New Caledonia76 in 1980
- Solomon Islands70 in 1980
- Mexico69 in 1980
- Peru69 in 1980
- Colombia67 in 1980
- China62 in 1980
- India58 in 1980
- Iran50 in 1980
- New Zealand50 in 1980
- Greece41 in 1980
- Argentina37 in 1980
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands34 in 1980
- Afghanistan33 in 1980
- Italy32 in 1980
- Timor Leste32 in 1980
- Algeria28 in 1980
- Guatemala27 in 1980
- Taiwan23 in 1980
- Ecuador19 in 1980
- Panama19 in 1980
- Myanmar17 in 1980
- Saint Helena16 in 1980
- Tajikistan15 in 1980
- Iceland13 in 1980
- Turkey13 in 1980
- Canada12 in 1980
- Pakistan12 in 1980
- Nicaragua11 in 1980
- El Salvador10 in 1980
- Nepal8 in 1980
- South Africa8 in 1980
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen8 in 1980
- Wallis and Futuna8 in 1980
- Eritrea7 in 1980
- Kyrgyzstan7 in 1980
- Micronesia7 in 1980
- Somalia7 in 1980
- Venezuela7 in 1980
- Brazil6 in 1980
- Costa Rica6 in 1980
- Portugal6 in 1980
- Australia5 in 1980
- Azerbaijan5 in 1980
- Iraq5 in 1980
- Uzbekistan5 in 1980
- Dominican Republic4 in 1980
- Yemen4 in 1980
- French Southern Territories3 in 1980
- Honduras3 in 1980
- Mauritius3 in 1980
- Mongolia3 in 1980
- Mozambique3 in 1980
- Serbia3 in 1980
- Bolivia2 in 1980
- Democratic Republic of the Congo2 in 1980
- Greenland2 in 1980
- Kazakhstan2 in 1980
- Poland2 in 1980
- Tanzania2 in 1980
- Zambia2 in 1980
- Albania1 in 1980
- Anguilla1 in 1980
- Armenia1 in 1980
- Barbados1 in 1980
- Croatia1 in 1980
- Cuba1 in 1980
- Dominica1 in 1980
- France1 in 1980
- Haiti1 in 1980
- Kosovo1 in 1980
- Libya1 in 1980
- Namibia1 in 1980
- North Korea1 in 1980
- Palau1 in 1980
- Romania1 in 1980
- Samoa1 in 1980
- Saudi Arabia1 in 1980
- South Korea1 in 1980
- Spain1 in 1980
- Trinidad and Tobago1 in 1980
- Turkmenistan1 in 1980
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.