August 17, 1961 Earthquake: Kuril Islands, Russia
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia on August 17, 1961 at 21:16:31 UTC, 154 km below the surface.
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
- August 17, 1961
- Time
- 21:16:31 UTC
- Place
- Kuril Islands, Russia
- Magnitude
- 6.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 154 km (96 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 46.338° N, 149.548° E
- Country
- Russia
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.
1961, August 17 21:16:31.35 UTC, 46.338 N, 149.548 E, depth 153.6 km, 6.7 Ms ROTHE, 6.6 UK BRK, 6.8 UK PAL.
(reference #9910)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 7, 1918, Kuril Islands, Russia
- June 29, 1780, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 11, 1956, Kuril Islands, Russia
- April 19, 2013, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 27, 1959, Kamchatka, Russia
- December 22, 1991, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 19, 1967, Kuril Islands, Russia
- November 6, 1908, Kuril Islands, Russia
- January 21, 1976, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 13, 1963, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 23, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 24, 1922, Kuril Islands, Russia
- December 3, 1995, Iturup, Matua, Kunashir, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 20, 1963, Kuril Islands, Russia
- April 5, 1901, Kuril Islands, Russia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1961The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1961Recent 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 6401.