Earthquakes in 1987
The USGS located 3,986 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more worldwide in 1987, 166 of them magnitude 6 or more, and 3,683 of magnitude 2.5 or more in the United States. The largest: M7.9 200 km WSW of Yakutat, Alaska, Nov 30, 1987.
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 1987 were located. Select one for its page.
The largest
The 25 largest of 1987, by magnitude.
- 7.9200 km WSW of Yakutat, Alaska · 10 km deepAlaska
- 7.684 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile · 62 km deepChile
- 7.454 km W of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea · 48 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.4Macquarie Island region · 33 km deep
- 7.454 km NNW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea · 55 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.3201 km ENE of Neiafu, Tonga · 16 km deepTonga
- 7.268 km SSE of Arica, Chile · 70 km deepChile
- 7.229 km SSE of Pimampiro, Ecuador · 10 km deepEcuador
- 7.1217 km W of Tual, Indonesia · 67 km deepIndonesia
- 7.0163 km SW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea · 25 km deepPapua New Guinea
- 7.052 km W of Abra Pampa, Argentina · 249 km deepArgentina
- 7.098 km SSW of Antofagasta, Chile · 35 km deepChile
- 7.0South Sandwich Islands region · 48 km deepSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- 6.9Gulf of Alaska · 10 km deepAlaska
- 6.94 km N of Canaoalan, Philippines · 107 km deepPhilippines
- 6.967 km SW of Unalaska, Alaska · 10 km deepAlaska
- 6.957 km ENE of Lakatoro, Vanuatu · 234 km deepVanuatu
- 6.8239 km SE of Pondaguitan, Philippines · 153 km deepPhilippines
- 6.8254 km W of Abepura, Indonesia · 33 km deepIndonesia
- 6.879 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu · 31 km deepVanuatu
- 6.8Macquarie Island region · 33 km deep
- 6.8Sea of Okhotsk · 542 km deep
- 6.872 km ENE of Svetlaya, Russia · 430 km deepRussia
- 6.8235 km WSW of Adak, Alaska · 20 km deepAlaska
- 6.8south of the Kermadec Islands · 10 km deep
Month by month
Counted by UTC date, which is how the catalog files them.
| Month | Quakes | Largest | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1987 | 522 | 7.0 | South Sandwich Islands region |
| February 1987 | 580 | 7.4 | 54 km NNW of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea |
| March 1987 | 637 | 7.6 | 84 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile |
| April 1987 | 530 | 7.0 | 52 km W of Abra Pampa, Argentina |
| May 1987 | 517 | 6.8 | Sea of Okhotsk |
| June 1987 | 509 | 7.1 | 217 km W of Tual, Indonesia |
| July 1987 | 581 | 6.7 | 114 km E of Hanga Roa, Chile |
| August 1987 | 599 | 7.2 | 68 km SSE of Arica, Chile |
| September 1987 | 507 | 7.4 | Macquarie Island region |
| October 1987 | 566 | 7.4 | 54 km W of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea |
| November 1987 | 1,046 | 7.9 | 200 km WSW of Yakutat, Alaska |
| December 1987 | 644 | 6.7 | 10 km SW of Mobara, Japan |
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.
- California2,337 in 1987
- Alaska631 in 1987
- Hawaii249 in 1987
- Northern Mariana Islands88 in 1987
- Utah86 in 1987
- Montana59 in 1987
- Nevada44 in 1987
- Guam38 in 1987
- Idaho23 in 1987
- Washington22 in 1987
- Oregon15 in 1987
- Tennessee13 in 1987
- Illinois12 in 1987
- Missouri11 in 1987
- Kentucky7 in 1987
- U.S. Virgin Islands7 in 1987
- Oklahoma6 in 1987
- Wyoming6 in 1987
- Ohio5 in 1987
- Arkansas4 in 1987
- Colorado4 in 1987
- South Carolina3 in 1987
- Georgia2 in 1987
- Indiana2 in 1987
- New York2 in 1987
- South Dakota2 in 1987
- Alabama1 in 1987
- Arizona1 in 1987
- Nebraska1 in 1987
- North Carolina1 in 1987
- Puerto Rico1 in 1987
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.
- Indonesia427 in 1987
- Papua New Guinea313 in 1987
- Japan275 in 1987
- Philippines201 in 1987
- Fiji187 in 1987
- Russia176 in 1987
- Tonga154 in 1987
- Chile152 in 1987
- Vanuatu137 in 1987
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands87 in 1987
- Peru76 in 1987
- China64 in 1987
- New Zealand57 in 1987
- Mexico56 in 1987
- Solomon Islands52 in 1987
- Argentina51 in 1987
- Timor Leste48 in 1987
- Afghanistan45 in 1987
- Colombia42 in 1987
- Iran42 in 1987
- India36 in 1987
- Ecuador30 in 1987
- Greece28 in 1987
- Panama25 in 1987
- Taiwan25 in 1987
- Saint Helena21 in 1987
- Nicaragua19 in 1987
- Tajikistan17 in 1987
- Guatemala16 in 1987
- Bolivia14 in 1987
- Costa Rica14 in 1987
- El Salvador14 in 1987
- Myanmar14 in 1987
- Canada13 in 1987
- Turkey13 in 1987
- Italy12 in 1987
- New Caledonia10 in 1987
- Wallis and Futuna10 in 1987
- Australia8 in 1987
- Dominican Republic7 in 1987
- Pakistan7 in 1987
- Uzbekistan7 in 1987
- Ethiopia6 in 1987
- Micronesia6 in 1987
- Nepal6 in 1987
- Cyprus5 in 1987
- Kyrgyzstan5 in 1987
- Portugal5 in 1987
- Samoa5 in 1987
- Venezuela5 in 1987
- Oman4 in 1987
- Romania4 in 1987
- South Africa4 in 1987
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen4 in 1987
- Turkmenistan4 in 1987
- Algeria3 in 1987
- Greenland3 in 1987
- Palau3 in 1987
- Serbia3 in 1987
- Albania2 in 1987
- Dominica2 in 1987
- Egypt2 in 1987
- Iceland2 in 1987
- Kazakhstan2 in 1987
- Libya2 in 1987
- Montserrat2 in 1987
- Poland2 in 1987
- Saudi Arabia2 in 1987
- Tanzania2 in 1987
- Yemen2 in 1987
- Azerbaijan1 in 1987
- Barbados1 in 1987
- Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba1 in 1987
- Bosnia and Herzegovina1 in 1987
- Botswana1 in 1987
- Cameroon1 in 1987
- Cayman Islands1 in 1987
- Democratic Republic of the Congo1 in 1987
- Djibouti1 in 1987
- Eritrea1 in 1987
- Grenada1 in 1987
- Guadeloupe1 in 1987
- Honduras1 in 1987
- Malawi1 in 1987
- Martinique1 in 1987
- Mongolia1 in 1987
- Morocco1 in 1987
- Mozambique1 in 1987
- South Korea1 in 1987
- Sri Lanka1 in 1987
- Switzerland1 in 1987
- Syria1 in 1987
- Vietnam1 in 1987
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.