July 2, 1970 Earthquake: Sivas, Turkey
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck Sivas, Turkey on July 2, 1970 at 02:24:35 UTC, 27 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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
- July 2, 1970
- Time
- 02:24:35 UTC
- Place
- Sivas, Turkey
- Magnitude
- 4.9 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 27 km (17 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 38.800° N, 36.700° E
- Country
- Turkey
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 150
- Houses damaged
- 150
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
July 2, 1970, 02:24:35.7 UTC, 38.8 N, 36.7 E, depth 27 km, magnitude 4.8 mb. One killed and 150 houses destroyed in
Sivas Province. (reference #45)
July 2, 1970, 02:24 UTC, 38.8 N, 36.7 E, depth 27 km, magnitude 4.8 mb, 4.9 Ms. Sivis province; 1 person killed, 150 houses destroyed at Yazyurdu (38 deg 48 min N., 36 deg 53 min E.). 9reference #1039)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaras, Syria, Turkey
- 1158, Antakya, Malatya,dimashq, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria
- March 31, 1893, Malatya, Turkey
- August 23, 1835, Turkey
- March 20, 1945, Aelana, Ceyhan, Adana, Turkey
- May 18, 1929, Susehri, Turkey
- February 20, 1940, Kayseri,develi, Turkey
- May 5, 1986, Dogansehir-Golbashi, Kapidere, Turkey
- June 14, 1964, Malatya,adiyaman, Turkey
- February 27, 2023, NW, Malatya, Syria, Turkey
- May 28, 1914, Gemerek, Turkey
- February 6, 2023, Turkey, Syria
- April 18, 2024, Anatolia, Turkey
- January 24, 1916, Turkey
- June 25, 2001, Osmaniye, Turkey
More
Significant earthquakes of 1970The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1970Recent 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 4549.