List of earthquakes in 1920
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This is a list of earthquakes in 1920. 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. With over 200,000 deaths being recorded in China, and substantial fatalities elsewhere, 1920 was one of the deadliest years of the 20th century for earthquakes.
StrongestChina Ningxia Province 16 December (Magnitude 8.3)
DeadliestChina Ningxia Province 16 December (Magnitude 8.3) 242,029 deaths
Total fatalities244,887
9.0+0
.svg)     Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1920
| |||
| Strongest | China Ningxia Province 16 December (Magnitude 8.3) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadliest | China Ningxia Province 16 December (Magnitude 8.3) 242,029 deaths | ||
| Total fatalities | 244,887 | ||
| Number by magnitude | |||
| 9.0+ | 0 | ||
| 8.0–8.9 | 3 | ||
| 7.0–7.9 | 7 | ||
| 6.0–6.9 | 29 | ||
| 5.0–5.9 | 2 | ||
Overall
By death toll
| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 242,029 | 8.3 |  Republic of China, Ningxia Province |
XII (Extreme) | 15.0 | 16 December |
| 3 | 648 | 6.3 |  Mexico, Veracruz |
X (Extreme) | 0.0 | 3 January |
| 4 | 400 | 6.0 |  Argentina, Mendoza Province |
VIII (Severe) | 10.0 | 17 December |
| 5 | 200 | 6.2 |  Principality of Albania, Gjirokaster County |
XI (Extreme) | 25.0 | 26 November |
| 6 | 171 | 5.8 |  Italy, Emilia-Romagna |
X (Extreme) | 10.0 | 7 September |
| = 7 | 101 | 6.2 |  Democratic Republic of Georgia, Shida Kartli |
( ) | 11.0 | 20 February |
| = 7 | 101 | 5.6 | Principality of Albania, Vlore County |
IX (Violent) | 0.0 | 18 December |
- Note: At least 10 casualties
By magnitude
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.3 | 242,029 | China, Ningxia Province | XII (Extreme) | 15.0 | 16 December |
| 2 | 8.2 | 8 | Taiwan, east of | VII (Very strong) | 20.0 | 5 June |
| 3 | 8.1 | 0 | France, Loyalty Islands | ( ) | 25.0 | 20 September |
| = 4 | 7.8 | 0 | New Guinea, East New Britain Province | ( ) | 35.0 | 2 February |
| 5 | 7.3 | 0 | Argentina, Neuquen Province | ( ) | 15.0 | 10 December |
| = 6 | 7.1 | 0 | Russian SFSR, Sea of Okhotsk | ( ) | 355.1 | 22 February |
| = 6 | 7.1 | 0 | Russian SFSR, southern end of Urup, Kuril Islands | ( ) | 35.0 | 18 October |
| = 7 | 7.0 | 0 | southern East Pacific Rise | ( ) | 10.0 | 20 March |
| = 7 | 7.0 | 0 | New Guinea, off the north coast of | ( ) | 25.0 | 13 May |
- Note: At least 7.0 magnitude
Notable events
January
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 3[1] | Mexico, Veracruz | 6.3[2] | 15.0 | X | The 1920 Xalapa earthquake left 648 people were killed and another 167 were injured. Damage was caused. | 648 | 167 |
| 30[3] | Colombia, Cauca Department | 6.0 | 35.0 | ||||
February
| Strongest | 7.8 Mw New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.2 Mw Georgia 101+ deaths |
| Total fatalities | 101+ |
| 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 | ||||||
| 2[4][5] | New Guinea, East New Britain Province | 7.8 | 35.0 | A few homes were destroyed. | |||
| 7[6] | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.7 | 35.0 | ||||
| 10[7] | United States, northwest of Puerto Rico | 6.4 | 15.0 | ||||
| 20[8] | DR Georgia, Shida Kartli | 6.2 | 11.0 | At least 101 people were killed and many homes were damaged due to the 1920 Gori earthquake. | 101+ | ||
| 22[9] | Russian SFSR, Sea of Okhotsk | 7.1 | 355.1 | ||||
March
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw southern East Pacific Rise |
|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 17[10] |  Dutch East Indies, off the west coast of northern Sumatra | 6.3 | 15.0 | ||||
| 20[11] | southern East Pacific Rise | 7.0 | 10.0 | ||||
| 29[12] | Canada, western British Columbia | 6.4 | 15.0 | ||||
April
| Strongest | 6.6 Mw Mexico |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 3 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 2[13] | New Guinea, Oro Province | 6.3 | 15.0 | ||||
| 11[14] |  Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands | 6.3 | 15.0 | ||||
| 19[15] | Mexico, Oaxaca | 6.6 | 35.0 | ||||
May
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 7 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 6[16] | Russian SFSR, Primorsky Krai | 6.5 | 500.0 | ||||
| 7[17] | Philippines, east of Mindanao | 6.8 | 35.0 | ||||
| 7[18] | British Solomon Islands, south of | 6.8 | 15.0 | ||||
| 10[19] | Dutch East Indies, Banda Sea | 6.5 | 370.0 | ||||
| 12[20] | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu | 6.6 | 150.0 | ||||
| 13[21] | New Guinea, off the north coast of | 7.0 | 25.0 | ||||
| 20[22] | British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands | 6.8 | 80.0 | ||||
| 27[23] | Dutch East Indies, Java Sea | 6.5 | 600.0 | ||||
June
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 5[24][25] | Taiwan, east of | 8.2 | 20.0 | VII | 8 people were killed and 24 were injured. 273 homes were destroyed in the 1920 Hualien earthquake. | 5 | 24 |
| 9[26] | Dutch East Indies, Banda Sea | 6.8 | 15.0 | ||||
July
| Strongest | 6.0 Mw Canada |
|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 7[27] | Canada, southern Yukon Territory | 6.0 | 35.0 | ||||
August
| 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 | 4 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 3[28] | Argentina, Catamarca Province | 6.9 | 15.0 | ||||
| 13[29] | Bolivia, Potosi Department | 6.5 | 150.0 | ||||
| 15[30] | British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands | 6.7 | 35.0 | ||||
| 20[31][32] | Chile, Araucania Region | 6.9 | 15.0 | Some homes were damaged or destroyed. | |||
September
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 7[33] | Italy, Emilia-Romagna | 5.8 | 10.0 | X | There was conflicting information about the 1920 Garfagnana earthquake. Some sources put the death toll as high as 1,400 whereas others report 171 deaths. | 1,400 | |
| 16[34] | Japan, southeast of Hokkaido | 6.5 | 35.0 | ||||
| 20[35][36] | France, Loyalty Islands | 8.1 | 25.0 | A tsunami caused some minor damage. | |||
October
| Strongest | 7.1 Mw Russia |
|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 12[37] | China, border of Xizang Province and Xinjiang Province | 6.7 | 20.0 | ||||
| 18[38] | Russian SFSR, southern end of Urup, Kuril Islands | 7.1 | 35.0 | ||||
| 20[39] | Taiwan, east of | 6.4 | 15.0 | ||||
November
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 26[40] | Albania, Gjirokaster County | 6.2 | 25.0 | XI | 200 people were killed. Many homes were destroyed. | 200 | |
December
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 10[41] | Argentina, Neuquen Province | 7.3 | 15.0 | ||||
| 16[42][43] | China, Ningxia | 8.3 | 15.0 | XII | The 1920 Haiyuan earthquake was one of the deadliest events of the 20th century. Over 200,000 deaths were caused in the region. Based on a list of cities affected there was at least 242,029 people killed. Property damage was around $25 million (1920 rate). Parts of the regional terrain were affected with uplift or slumping. | 242,029 | |
| 17[44] | Argentina, Mendoza Province | 6.0 | 10.0 | VIII | 400 people were killed and many homes were destroyed in the 1920 Mendoza earthquake. | 400 | |
| 18[45] | Albania, Vlore County | 5.6 | 0.0 | IX | At least 101 people were killed. Many homes were destroyed. | 101+ | |
| 19[46] | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.8 | 35.0 | ||||
| 25[47] | China, Ningxia | 6.8 | 15.0 | Aftershock. | |||