List of earthquakes in 1908
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This is a list of earthquakes in 1908. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. One of the early 20th century's worst earthquakes happened this year in Italy. A magnitude 8.2 earthquake was said to have occurred off the Peruvian coast on 12 December. This earthquake has been proven to be of false origin since seismological data does not support its existence.[1]
StrongestMexico, Guerrero, (Magnitude 7.7) 26 March
Deadliest
Kingdom of Italy Sicily, (Magnitude 7.0) 28 December, 120,000 deaths
Kingdom of Italy Sicily, (Magnitude 7.0) 28 December, 120,000 deathsTotal fatalities120,000
9.0+0
.svg)   Approximate epicenters of notable earthquakes in 1908
| |||
| Strongest | Mexico, Guerrero, (Magnitude 7.7) 26 March | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadliest | Kingdom of Italy Sicily, (Magnitude 7.0) 28 December, 120,000 deaths | ||
| Total fatalities | 120,000 | ||
| Number by magnitude | |||
| 9.0+ | 0 | ||
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 | ||
| 7.0–7.9 | 10 | ||
| 6.0–6.9 | 18 | ||
| 5.0–5.9 | 0 | ||
Overall
By death toll
| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 120,000 | 7.0 | Kingdom of Italy, Sicily |
XI (Extreme) | 15.0 | 28 December |
- Note: At least 10 casualties
By magnitude
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.7 | 0 | Mexico, Guerrero | ( ) | 80.0 | 26 March |
| 2 | 7.5 | 0 | Dutch East Indies, off west coast of Sumatra | ( ) | 130.0 | 6 February |
| 3 | 7.2 | 0 | Scotia Sea | ( ) | 0.0 | 17 August |
| 4 | 7.1 | 0 | Japan, off east coast of Honshu | ( ) | 35.0 | 15 January |
| = 5 | 7.0 | 0 | Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero | ( ) | 0.0 | 27 March |
| = 5 | 7.0 | 0 | Southwest Indian Ridge | ( ) | 0.0 | 22 April |
| = 6 | 7.0 | 0 | United States, Gulf of Alaska | ( ) | 0.0 | 15 May |
| = 6 | 7.0 | 0 | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | ( ) | 220.0 | 24 October |
| = 6 | 7.0 | 0 | British Burma, Kachin State | ( ) | 15.0 | 12 December |
| = 6 | 7.0 | 120,000 | Italy, Sicily | XI (Extreme) | 15.0 | 28 December |
- Note: At least 7.0 magnitude
Notable events
January
| Strongest | 7.1 Mw Japan |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 11[2] | Taiwan, Taitung County | 6.8 | 5.0 | ||||
| 15[3] | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 7.1 | 35.0 | ||||
February
| Strongest | 7.5 Mw Dutch East Indies |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 2 |
March
| Strongest | 7.7 Mw Mexico |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 3 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 5[7] | Philippines, Mindanao | 6.9 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 12[8] | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 6.5 | 200.0 | ||||
| 23[9] | Dutch East Indies, Timor Sea | 6.6 | 0.0 | Some damage was caused on Timor. Depth unknown. | |||
| 26[10][11] | Mexico, Guerrero | 7.7 | 80.0 | Some damage was caused. | |||
| 27[12] | Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero | 7.0 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
April
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw Southwest Indian Ridge |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 2 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 16[13] | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 6.6 | 220.0 | ||||
| 19[14] | Russia, Sea of Japan | 6.7 | 450.0 | ||||
| 22[15] | Southwest Indian Ridge | 7.0 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
May
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw United States |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 3 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 3[16] | Russia, Kuril Islands | 6.5 | 35.0 | ||||
| 5[17] | Dutch East Indies, Celebes Sea | 6.9 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 15[18] | United States, Gulf of Alaska | 7.0 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 17[19] | Greece, south of Crete | 6.6 | 100.0 | ||||
August
| Strongest | 7.2 Mw Scotia Sea |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 17[20] | Scotia Sea | 7.2 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 20[21] | China, western Xizang Province | 6.9 | 15.0 | ||||
September
| Strongest | 6.8 Mw United States |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 21[22] | United States, south of Hawaii (island) | 6.8 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
October
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 3 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 6[23] | Romania, Buzau County | 6.6 | 150.0 | ||||
| 13[24] | Mexico, Guerrero | 6.9 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 23[25] | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 6.9 | 220.0 | rowspan="2"|These events can be considered a doublet earthquake. | |||
| 24[26] | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 7.0 | 220.0 | ||||
November
| Strongest | 6.9 Mw 2 events |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 2 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 2[27] | Dutch East Indies, southwest of the Mentawai Islands | 6.9 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 6[28] | Russia, Kuril Islands | 6.9 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
December
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 12[29] | British Burma, Kachin State | 7.2 | 15.0 | ||||
| 28[30][31][32] | Italy, Sicily | 7.0 | 15.0 | XI | The 1908 Messina earthquake caused 82,000 deaths in total. The earthquake contributed to 80,000 of the total. A tsunami resulted in another 2,000 deaths. Damage costs were around $116 million (1908 rate). | 82,000 | |