This is a list of earthquakes in 1938. 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 was once again a very busy year with 22 events reaching 7.0+. Topping the list was a huge quake which struck the Banda Sea, Dutch East Indies in February. At a magnitude of 8.5 this was one of the largest earthquakes of all time. Despite the large size no deaths were reported. Despite the array of large events, the death toll for the year was only 296. Turkey saw the majority of the deaths due to a 6.6 magnitude event in April. November saw a series of large quakes strike off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. Also in November was a magnitude 8.3 which struck Alaska. Generally Dutch East Indies and Japan saw most of the large 7.0+ events.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Kırşehir Province 2 British Burma, Shan State 3 , Makassar Strait Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Banda Sea 2 , south of the Alaska Peninsula 3 , off the east coast of Honshu = 4 , Morobe Province = 4 , Makassar Strait = 4 , off the east coast of Honshu = 4 , Ryukyu Islands = 4 , off the east coast of Honshu = 4 , off the east coast of Honshu 5 , off the east coast of Honshu 6 , Ryukyu Islands = 7 , Molucca Sea = 7 , northwest of Timor 8 Taiwan, Hualien County = 9 , west of Luzon = 9 , Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia = 9 , Bayan-Ölgii Province = 10 Scotia Sea = 10 , Quindío Department = 10 British Burma, Chin State = 10 , Samar Sea = 10 , Southland, New Zealand Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Volcano Islands 6.6 60.0 , off the coast of Oaxaca 6.5 25.0 Major damage was reported. , west of New Ireland (island) 6.5 15.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.2 60.0 , off the south coast of Honshu 6.5 25.0 , Loreto Region 6.0 100.0 , off the west coast of southern Sumatra 6.5 100.0 , Sunda Strait 6.0 150.0 , north of Maui, Hawaii 6.6 10.0 Damage was caused with costs being reported at $150,000 (1938 rate). Landslides were observed as well as cracks in roads. Scotia Sea 7.0 10.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , eastern Banda Sea 8.5 25.0 The 1938 Banda Sea earthquake was one of the largest in Indonesian history. Despite the size and shallow depth very little damage was caused. A tsunami was caused which resulted in 24 homes being destroyed with a further 8 being damaged. , Mentawai Islands 6.0 120.0 , Quindío Department 7.0 150.0 2 people were killed and major damage was caused. 2 , west of Catanduanes 6.5 160.0 , Tochigi Prefecture, Honshu 6.5 100.0 , off the west coast of West Papua (province) 0.0 0.0 Some damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown. , northeast of 6.5 35.0 Turkmen SSR, Balkan Region 6.0 35.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , southeast of New Ireland (island) 6.5 50.0 India, Madhya Pradesh 6.2 50.0 , southwest of Haida Gwaii 6.6 10.0 , Batanes 6.5 60.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Banda Sea 6.0 420.0 6.5 100.0 , Sicily 6.6 270.0 British Burma, Sagaing Region 6.6 105.0 , South Australia 6.0 35.0 , Arica y Parinacota Region 6.5 60.0 , Kırşehir Province 6.6 10.0 The 1938 Kırşehir earthquake caused major damage in the area. 224 people were killed. 224 , Jujuy Province 6.0 180.0 , off the west coast of 0.0 0.0 Some damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown. , Banda Sea 6.5 150.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Morelos 6.5 100.0 , León Department 0.0 0.0 Major damage was reported. The magnitude and depth were unknown. , off the coast of Guerrero 6.3 20.0 , Morobe Province 7.7 35.0 Some homes were damaged or destroyed. British Burma, Shan State 6.0 0.0 At least 51 people were killed and some homes were destroyed. The depth was unknown. 51+ , Makassar Strait 7.7 35.0 A tsunami caused 17 deaths in the area. 942 homes were destroyed and a further 184 sustained damage. 17 , off the east coast of Honshu 7.7 15.0 , west of Luzon 7.1 15.0 , Hokkaido 6.5 35.0 1 person was killed due to a tsunami. 7 homes were destroyed. 1 , off the coast of Oregon 6.0 0.0 The depth was unknown. , Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 7.1 35.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Buru 6.9 15.0 , Ryukyu Islands 7.7 20.0 Minor damage was caused by a tsunami. , Coquimbo Region 6.0 70.0 , Ryukyu Islands 7.5 20.0 This was to the northeast of the event on June 10. Kirghiz SSR, Chüy Region 6.8 15.0 , San Juan Province, Argentina 6.5 70.0 6.6 45.0 , Guerrero 6.5 110.0 Some damage was caused.

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 6.6 35.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 6.5 75.0 Kenya, Kilifi County 6.0 35.0 , off the coast of Jalisco 6.6 20.0 , off the east coast of 6.5 120.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.3 50.0 , Batu Islands 6.5 35.0 Russian SFSR, Primorsky Krai 6.0 450.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Jujuy Province 6.6 205.0 British Burma, Chin State 7.0 75.0 , southern Sumatra 6.1 65.0 , south of Sumbawa 6.5 50.0 , southwest of Sumatra 6.4 15.0 , Samar Sea 7.0 15.0 , off the north coast 6.6 15.0 , west of New Ireland (island) 6.6 25.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Taiwan, Hualien County 7.2 15.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island 6.5 160.0 Greece, Peloponnese (region) 6.5 100.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 15.0 Italian Ethiopia, Afar Region 6.4 15.0 , off the southeast coast of New Britain 6.3 35.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Molucca Sea 7.3 15.0 , Molucca Sea 6.2 15.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 15.0 Taiwan, Hualien County 6.5 15.0 , west of Hokkaido 6.5 250.0 , Bayan-Ölgii Province 7.1 10.0 , northwest of Timor 7.3 90.0 , Jilin Province 6.2 550.0 Mozambique Channel 6.0 35.0 , south of Lombok 6.5 90.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Honshu 7.8 35.0 1 person was killed and 20 homes were destroyed. A tsunami was caused. Several large aftershocks followed this event. Some were almost as large as the mainshock. 1 , off the east coast of Honshu 7.7 35.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 7.7 30.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 7.6 25.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 30.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 30.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.8 15.0 Aftershock. , south of Alaska Peninsula 8.2 35.0 This was one of the largest earthquakes in Alaskan history. The event was in a sparsely populated area so no damage was reported. , south of Alaska Peninsula 6.6 35.0 Aftershock. Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands 6.7 75.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.9 35.0 Aftershock. , off the southeast coast of New Britain 6.4 35.0 , south of Alaska Peninsula 6.9 35.0 Aftershock. British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands 6.5 360.0 , Xizang Province 6.0 35.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.8 25.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.8 30.0 Aftershock.

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Taiwan, southeast of 6.8 15.0 13 homes were destroyed. , off the east coast of Honshu 6.6 25.0 Aftershock. , Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.4 25.0 , Southland, New Zealand 7.0 15.0 , off the west coast of South Island 6.6 15.0 , Khovd Province 6.6 10.0 , south of Sumba 6.3 25.0 , Hawke's Bay Region 6.2 35.0

References