December 17, 1737 Earthquake: Kuril Islands, Russia
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia on December 17, 1737, 50 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- December 17, 1737
- Place
- Kuril Islands, Russia
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Focal depth
- 50 km (31 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 50.000° N, 157.000° E
- Country
- Russia
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 16, 1737, Kamchatka, Russia
- March 17, 1953, Kuril Islands, Russia
- November 18, 1742, Kuril Islands, Russia
- February 28, 1973, Kuril Islands, Hiroo, Urakawa, Russia
- January 10, 1961, Kamchatka, Russia
- September 17, 1958, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 25, 2020, Kuril Islands, Russia
- June 8, 1993, Kamchatka, Russia
- January 13, 1929, Kuril Islands, Russia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1737The 1700sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 1271.