List of earthquakes in 1948
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This is a list of earthquakes in 1948. 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. This would go down as one of the deadliest years of the 20th century. The main factor behind this was the earthquake which struck Turkmenistan that left 110,000 people dead in early October. This was the deadliest single earthquake since 1923 when a great quake struck Tokyo. Other events during the year caused many deaths including one in Japan in June which resulted in over 5,000 deaths. The number of magnitude 7.0+ events (18) was around normal with the biggest event being in the Philippines measuring 7.8. Clusters of large events were reported in Latin America and the southwest Pacific particularly Fiji in the early part of the year.
Strongest
Philippines, Panay (Magnitude 7.8) 24 January
Philippines, Panay (Magnitude 7.8) 24 JanuaryDeadliest
Soviet Union, north of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (Magnitude 7.3) 5 October, 110,000 deaths
Soviet Union, north of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (Magnitude 7.3) 5 October, 110,000 deathsTotal fatalities116,135
9.0+0
.svg)    Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1948
| |||
| Strongest | Philippines, Panay (Magnitude 7.8) 24 January | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadliest | Soviet Union, north of Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (Magnitude 7.3) 5 October, 110,000 deaths | ||
| Total fatalities | 116,135 | ||
| Number by magnitude | |||
| 9.0+ | 0 | ||
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 | ||
| 7.0–7.9 | 18 | ||
| 6.0–6.9 | 32 | ||
| 5.0–5.9 | 1 | ||
Overall
By death toll
| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 110,000 | 7.3 | .svg){kind=small} Turkmenistan, north of Ashgabat |
X (Extreme) | 15.0 | 5 October |
| 2 | 5,131 | 6.8 |  Japan, Fukui Prefecture, Honshu |
VII (Very strong) | 10.0 | 28 June |
| 3 | 800 | 7.1 |  China, Sichuan Province |
X (Extreme) | 55.0 | 25 May |
| 4 | 110 | 6.8 | China, Yunnan |
VIII (Severe) | 0.0 | 27 June |
| 5 | 74 | 7.8 | Philippines, Panay |
IX (Violent) | 15.0 | 24 January |
- Note: At least 10 casualties
By magnitude
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.8 | 74 | Philippines, Panay |
IX (Violent) | 15.0 | 24 January |
| 2 | 7.5 | 0 |  Tonga |
V (Moderate) | 15.0 | 8 September |
| 3 | 7.3 | 0 | .svg){kind=small} Greece, Karpathos |
X (Extreme) | 15.0 | 9 February |
| 3 | 7.3 | 110,000 | Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, north of Ashgabat |
X (Extreme) | 15.0 | 5 October |
| 4 | 7.2 | 0 |  Indonesia, Gulf of Tomini |
( ) | 170.0 | 9 February |
| 4 | 7.2 | 0 | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu |
VII (Very strong) | 15.0 | 17 April |
| 5 | 7.1 | 0 | .svg){kind=small} Fiji |
( ) | 595.0 | 27 January |
| 5 | 7.1 | 0 | Indonesia, northeast of Buru |
VII (Very strong) | 15.0 | 1 March |
| 5 | 7.1 | 0 |  United States, south of Alaska Peninsula |
VI (Strong) | 25.0 | 14 May |
| 5 | 7.1 | 800 | China, Sichuan Province |
X (Extreme) | 55.0 | 25 May |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 | Fiji |
( ) | 581.6 | 4 January |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 | Fiji |
( ) | 143.6 | 22 January |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 | Philippines, northwest of Luzon |
( ) | 15.0 | 3 March |
| 6 | 7.0 | 4 |  Peru, Lima Region |
( ) | 51.2 | 28 May |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 |  Argentina, Salta Province |
VII (Very strong) | 30.0 | 25 August |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 | Philippines, Dinagat Island |
( ) | 100.0 | 2 September |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 |  Costa Rica, San Jose Province |
( ) | 38.5 | 19 November |
| 6 | 7.0 | 0 |  Chile, Antofagasta Region |
VII (Very strong) | 100.0 | 26 December |
- Note: At least 7.0 magnitude
Notable events
January
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 4[1] | Fiji | 7.0 | 581.6 | ||||
| 6[2][3] | Mexico, Guerrero | 6.4 | 30.0 | VI | |||
| 22[4] | Fiji | 7.0 | 143.6 | ||||
| 24[5][6][7][8] | Philippines, Panay | 7.8 | 15.0 | IX | The 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake caused a total of 74 deaths. 2 people were killed in a tsunami that swept ashore. Many homes were destroyed or damaged. Costs were around $3.5 million (1948 rate). | 74 | |
| 27[9] | Fiji | 7.1 | 595.0 | ||||
| 28[10] | Indonesia, Molucca Sea | 6.5 | 15.0 | ||||
February
| Strongest | 7.3 Mw Greece |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
March
| Strongest | 7.1 Mw Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
April
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 17[22][23] | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu | 7.2 | 15.0 | VII | |||
| 21[24][25] | Dominican Republic, Samana Province | 6.9 | 15.0 | VII | |||
| 22[26][27][28] | Greece, Ionian Islands (region) | 6.5 | 15.0 | X | 2 people were killed and 45 injuries were caused. 244 homes were destroyed and a further 2,022 were damaged. | 2 | 45 |
May
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 9[29][30] | Japan, southeast of Kyushu | 6.7 | 25.0 | VI | |||
| 11[31][32][33] | Peru, Tacna Region | 6.6 | 58.7 | X | 1 person was killed and some damage was caused. | 1 | |
| 12[34] | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.8 | 20.0 | ||||
| 14[35][36] | United States, south of the Alaska Peninsula | 7.1 | 25.0 | VI | |||
| 22[37][38] | New Zealand, Canterbury, New Zealand | 6.5 | 15.0 | VII | |||
| 25[39][40][41] | Republic of China, Sichuan | 7.1 | 55.0 | X | 800 people were killed and another 200 were injured in the 1948 Litang earthquake. 600 homes were destroyed. | 800 | 200 |
| 26[42] | United States, south of Kodiak Island, Alaska | 6.0 | 0.0 | Depth unknown. | |||
| 28[43][44] | Peru, off the central coast | 7.0 | 51.2 | VII | 4 people were killed and some damage was caused. | 4 | |
June
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 2[45] | Indonesia, off the north coast of Sumatra | 6.2 | 0.0 | A tsunami was generated. Unknown depth. | |||
| 15[46][47] | Japan, Wakayama Prefecture, Honshu | 6.7 | 24.4 | VII | |||
| 27[48] | Republic of China, Yunnan | 6.8 | 0.0 | VIII | 110 people were killed and a further 800 were injured. 600 homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. | 110 | 800 |
| 28[49][50][51] | Japan, Fukui Prefecture, Honshu | 6.8 | 10.0 | VII | The 1948 Fukui earthquake caused major destruction in the area. 5,131 people were killed and 11,000 were injured. About 63,000 homes were destroyed and another 18,543 were damaged. $1 billion (1948 rate) in property damage was caused. | 5,131 | 11,000 |
| 29[52] | New Zealand, Western Samoa | 6.5 | 35.0 | ||||
| 29[53] | Soviet Union, Dagestan Republic, Russia | 6.0 | 35.0 | ||||
| 30[54][55][56] | Greece, Epirus (region) | 6.4 | 15.0 | XI | 6 people were killed and some damage was caused. | 6 | |
July
| Strongest | 6.5 Mw Peru |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 2 |
August
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw Argentina |
|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 11[61] | Mexico, Veracruz | 6.8 | 105.3 | ||||
| 19[62][63] | United States, central Alaska | 6.3 | 100.0 | V | |||
| 25[64][65] | Argentina, Salta Province | 7.0 | 30.0 | VII | 1948 Salta earthquake. | ||
September
| Strongest | 7.5 Mw Tonga |
|---|---|
| Total fatalities | 0 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 1 |
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 2[66] | Philippines, Dinagat Island | 7.0 | 100.0 | ||||
| 8[67][68] | Tonga | 7.5 | 15.0 | V | |||
| 10[69][70] | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia | 6.8 | 25.0 | VI | |||
October
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 4[71][72] | Taiwan, off the east coast | 6.3 | 15.0 | V | |||
| 5[73][74][75] | Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, north of Ashgabat | 7.3 | 15.0 | X | The 1948 Ashgabat earthquake was one of the worst of the 20th century. 110,000 people were killed. Many (at least 1,001) were injured. Ashgabat was almost destroyed. Some parts of northern Iran suffered heavy damage. Damage costs were $25 million (1948 rate). | 110,000 | 1,001 |
| 8[76] | Republic of China, Guizhou | 5.8 | 0.0 | VIII | 3 people were killed and 75 were injured. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. Unknown depth. | 3 | 75 |
| 28[77] | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.5 | 65.0 | ||||
November
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| 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 | ||||||
| 19[78] | Costa Rica, San Jose Province | 7.0 | 38.5 | ||||
| 21[79] | New Hebrides | 6.8 | 174.5 | ||||
| 26[80][81] | Australia, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea | 6.6 | 54.9 | VI | |||
December
| Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead | Injured | ||||||
| 4[82][83][84] | Mexico, southwest of Islas Marias | 6.7 | 15.0 | V | 4 people were killed and 21 were injured. Major damage was caused. | 4 | 21 |
| 4[85][86] | United States, southern California | 6.0 | 6.0 | VII | |||
| 12[87] | United States, Rat Islands, Alaska | 6.6 | 0.0 | Unknown depth. | |||
| 15[88] | Japan, Volcano Islands | 6.8 | 246.6 | ||||
| 23[89] | Soviet Union, Commander Islands, Russia | 6.5 | 20.0 | ||||
| 26[90] | Chile, Antofagasta Region | 7.0 | 100.0 | VII | |||
| 29[91][92] | United States, northern California | 6.0 | 0.0 | VII | Unknown depth. | ||