This is a list of earthquakes in 1937. 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. The death toll of 497 was the lowest since 1921. China once again bore the brunt of the deadly events. The largest magnitude event was a 7.8 in January in China. Activity was fairly scattered across the planet with China, Dutch East Indies, Mexico, South America, the southern Pacific Ocean islands and Alaska seeing large (7.0+ magnitude) events.
Overall
By death toll
Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Shandong Province 2 , Shanxi Province 3 , Veracruz 4 , Pasco Region Note: At least 10 casualties
By magnitude
Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Qinghai Province 2 , Luzon = 3 Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands = 3 , Guerrero = 4 Fiji = 4 , Veracruz = 4 , Andreanof Islands, Alaska = 5 British Solomon Islands = 5 , South Sandwich Islands = 5 , Badakhshan Province = 6 , off the coast of northern = 6 , Pastaza Province = 6 , Bali Sea 7 , central Alaska Note: At least 7.0 magnitude
Notable events
January
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , West Sepik Province 6.0 35.0 , southeast of Kyushu 6.5 20.0 , Qinghai Province 7.8 15.0 Some damage was reported. , off the coast of Oaxaca 6.0 110.0 , Chinandega Department 0.0 0.0 Some damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown. , southeast of New Ireland (island) 6.8 35.0 British Solomon Islands 7.2 15.0
February
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Guelma Province 5.4 0.0 At least 1 person died and some damage was caused. The depth was unknown. 1+ Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands 7.4 30.0 Some damage was reported.
March
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Puntarenas Province 6.4 20.0 , off the coast of Antofagasta Region 6.4 15.0 , Atacama Region 6.0 70.0 , southern California 6.0 6.0 , Moquegua Region 6.6 120.0
April
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Fiji 6.5 600.0 , off the north coast of Papua (province) 6.8 15.0 Fiji 7.3 330.0 , south of Alaska Peninsula 6.6 35.0 Russian SFSR, Primorsky Krai 6.2 370.0
May
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Fiji, south of 6.5 640.0 , south of Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi 6.2 200.0 , Cauca Department 6.5 90.0 , Rabaul 0.0 0.0 Some homes were destroyed. This event was part of a volcanic eruption which left 507 dead. The magnitude and depth was unknown. , Chiapas 6.5 150.0 , Volcano Islands 6.5 530.0 , northeast of Halmahera 6.2 170.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island 6.5 100.0
June
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands 6.5 130.0 , Chiapas 6.2 200.0 , off the north coast 7.1 30.0
July
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , north of Simeulue 6.3 30.0 6.5 35.0 British Solomon Islands 6.5 15.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake British Solomon Islands 6.6 15.0 , Arequipa Region 6.0 180.0 Russian SFSR, off the east coast of Kamchatka 6.5 140.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.3 70.0 , Pastaza Province 7.1 175.0 Russian SFSR, south of Sakhalin 6.0 400.0 , central Alaska 7.0 10.0 Some minor damage was reported. , Veracruz 7.3 90.0 34 people were killed in the 1937 Orizaba earthquake. Some damage was caused. 34 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.6 35.0 , Shandong Province 6.9 25.0 390 deaths were reported and at least 101 people were injured during the 1937 Heze earthquakes. Many homes were wrecked. 390 101+
August
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Shandong Province 6.7 25.0 This came around 14 hours after the previous deadly event on July 31. India, Nicobar Islands 6.0 120.0 , West New Britain Province 6.6 140.0 , Northern Mariana Islands 6.5 120.0 , Bali Sea 7.1 610.0 , Luzon 7.5 15.0 1 person was killed and 200 were injured. Many homes were destroyed or damaged. 1 200 British Burma, Kachin State 6.6 15.0
September
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , south of the Kermadec Islands 6.5 45.0 , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 7.2 80.0 Fiji 6.5 35.0 , South Sandwich Islands 7.2 95.0 , Shanxi Province 5.0 0.0 At least 51 people died and many homes were destroyed. 51+ British Solomon Islands 6.7 35.0 Laos, Oudomxay Province 6.0 35.0 , Molucca Sea 6.7 50.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island 6.9 35.0 , Antofagasta Region 6.0 130.0 , south of Java 6.8 55.0 1 person was killed. 326 homes were destroyed and a further 2,200 were damaged. 1 , south of Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi 6.5 200.0
October
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Guerrero 0.0 0.0 Major damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown. , Morelos 6.7 35.0 , Antofagasta Region 6.5 110.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 25.0 , Bay of Plenty Region, North Island 6.2 35.0 , O'Higgins Region 6.0 110.0 , Badakhshan Province 6.2 230.0
November
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Antofagasta Region 6.0 75.0 , Badakhshan Province 7.2 200.0 Major damage was caused. India, Jammu and Kashmir 6.4 30.0 Taiwan, east of 6.0 50.0 , off the west coast of Sumatra 6.5 15.0 Italian Ethiopia, SNNPR 6.3 10.0
December
+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Taiwan, Taitung County 6.9 15.0 1 person was hurt and 5 homes collapsed. 1 , Antofagasta Region 6.0 60.0 Taiwan, off the east coast 6.7 15.0 Greece, south of Crete 6.5 100.0 Taiwan, Taitung County 6.6 15.0 Uzbek SSR, Tashkent Region 6.5 15.0 , Guerrero 7.4 25.0 4 deaths were reported. 4 , Pasco Region 6.3 15.0 15 people died and some damage was caused. 15 Russian SFSR, Irkutsk Oblast 6.0 35.0 , La Libertad Department (El Salvador) 0.0 0.0 Major damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown.
References