March 24, 1978 Earthquake: Kuril Islands, Russia
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Kuril Islands, Russia on March 24, 1978 at 19:47:50 UTC, 33 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
- March 24, 1978
- Time
- 19:47:50 UTC
- Place
- Kuril Islands, Russia
- Magnitude
- 7.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 44.244° N, 148.862° 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.
Fifth tsunamigenic earthquake:
At the end of March 1978, a long series of earthquakes occurred east of Iturup Island, many of which had a magnitude exceeding magnitude 7.0. From 00 hr 50 min on March 22 to 19 hr 43 min on March 24 there was as many as seven earthquakes ranging in magnitude from 7.0 to 8.0. Five of the seven earthquakes produced weak tsunamis.
This was the strongest tsunamigenic earthquake. Seismic station Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk gave it a magnitude of 7.6. The earthquake was felt at an intensity of 5-6 points on Shikotan Island, at 5 points on Kunashir Island, and at 3 points on Iturup and Urup Islands.
Reference #417 (Soloviev, 1992) reports epicenter 19 h 47 m 50.7 s, 43.9 N, 149.1 E, depth 39 km, magnitude = 8.0.
Felt (VI) at Kurilsk and (III JMA) Nemuro-Hiroo-Obihiro area, Hokkaido. Also felt (II JMA) in southwestern Hokkaido and northern Honshu. Felt (I JMA) in northern Hokkaido. Small tsunamir eported along SE coast of Hokkaido, with the follwoingw ave heights (in cm center to peak): 23 at Nemuro, 14 at Kushiro, and 10 at Hiroo. Hokkaido. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 4, 1994, Hokkaido, Kuril Islands, Japan, Russia
- November 12, 1958, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 23, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- April 9, 1959, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 22, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 22, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 12, 1963, Kuril Islands, Russia
- November 6, 1958, Kuril Islands, Russia
- February 21, 1937, Kuril Islands, Russia
- June 11, 1965, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 24, 1984, Kuril Islands, Russia
- December 3, 1995, Iturup, Matua, Kunashir, Kuril Islands, Russia
- January 21, 1976, Kuril Islands, Russia
- March 23, 1978, Kuril Islands, Russia
- October 9, 1994, Kuril Islands, Russia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1978The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1978Recent 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 4798.