April 9, 1959 Earthquake: Kuril Islands, Russia
A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia on April 9, 1959 at 12:24:20 UTC, 40 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
- April 9, 1959
- Time
- 12:24:20 UTC
- Place
- Kuril Islands, Russia
- Magnitude
- 5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 40 km (25 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 44.300° N, 149.000° E
- Country
- Russia
- Region
- Kamchatka and Kuril Islands
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Sources NCEI cites
The publications NCEI lists for this record. The numbers match the “reference #” notes in its account above.
- #3458 Soloviev, S.L. (1978). Basic data on tsunamis on the Pacific coast of the USSR, 1737-1976, Izuchenia Tsunami v Otkrytom Okeane, Moscow, "Nauka" Publishing House, p. 61-136 (in Russian).
- #45 U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1928-1986). United States Earthquakes, Annual publication, published 1928-1986. vol.s for 1928-1965 issued by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey; volumes for 1966-1969 issued by the National Earthquake Information Center; volume for 1970 issued by the National Geophysical Data Center; volumes for 1971-1972 issued by the National Geophysical And Solar-Terrestrial Data Center; volumes for 1973-1980 published jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey; volumes for 1981-1986 published by the U.S. Geological Survey. [on shelf]
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 4, 1994, Hokkaido, Kuril Islands, Japan, Russia
- March 23, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 24, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 22, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- November 12, 1958, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 12, 1963, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 22, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- February 21, 1937, Kuril Islands, Russia
- November 6, 1958, Kuril Islands, Russia
- December 3, 1995, Iturup, Matua, Kunashir, Kuril Islands, Russia
- June 11, 1965, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 24, 1984, Kuril Islands, Russia
- January 21, 1976, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 13, 1963, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 23, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1959The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1959Recent 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 2026-10-01. NCEI earthquake 6385.