This is a list of earthquakes in 1949. 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. Three events took up the vast majority of the deaths for 1949. The events happened during a volatile mid year period seismically speaking. Firstly in Tajikistan in July 12,000 were killed. A few weeks later in early August a quake struck Ecuador leaving 6,000 dead. In mid August Turkey suffered from an earthquake leaving another 320 dead. Also in this part of the year was the largest quake, a magnitude 8.0 in Canada.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Districts of Republican Subordination 2 , Tungurahua Province 3 , Bingol Province 4 , Araucania Region 5 , Sichuan Province 6 , southern Xinjiang Province 7 , Luzon Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , western Haida Gwaii 2 , Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region = 3 , Badakhshan Province = 3 , Districts of Republican Subordination = 3 4 , Mindanao = 5 , southern Xinjiang Province = 5 , Tarapaca Region = 5 , Kermadec Islands = 5 , Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena Region = 6 = 6 , west of Bougainville Island, New Guinea = 7 , Northern Mariana Islands = 7 , Luzon = 8 = 8 , north of Halmahera Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast 6.5 0.0 Depth unknown. , Sea of Japan 6.5 0.0 Depth unknown. 7.0 104.1 , north of New Ireland (island), New Guinea 6.5 0.0 Unknown depth. , north of New Ireland (island), New Guinea 6.0 0.0 Aftershock. Unknown depth.

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 6.8 220.0 , Cook Strait 6.2 170.0 , Samoa 6.8 0.0 Depth unknown. , south of the Kermadec Islands 6.7 15.0 , off the coast of Michoacan 6.5 0.0 Depth unknown. , southern Xinjiang Province 7.3 10.0 21 people were killed and 17 were injured. 1,010 homes were destroyed. 21 17

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Badakhshan Province 7.5 228.7 Some damage was caused. , East New Britain Province, New Guinea 6.6 35.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , East New Britain Province, New Guinea 6.5 55.0 , off the coast of northern California 6.5 15.0 , north of Halmahera 7.0 60.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Sea of Japan 6.7 574.5 , southern Puget Sound, Washington (state) 6.8 70.0 8 people were killed in the 1949 Olympia earthquake. Property damage costs were around $25 million (1949 rate). 8 , Samoa 6.8 60.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.5 0.0 Depth unknown. , Araucania Region 6.9 57.7 57 people were killed and some damage was caused. 57 , Flores Sea 6.4 20.0 , Hormozgan Province 6.3 100.0 Major damage was caused. , Tarapaca Region 7.3 101.1 , Mindanao 7.4 127.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.8 138.8 , Tarapaca Region 6.6 119.3 , northern Sumatra 6.5 50.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.2 40.0 , Kermadec Islands 6.5 160.0 , Michoacan 6.5 100.0 , Potosi Department 6.8 97.7

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Santiago del Estero Province 6.9 596.6 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Santiago del Estero Province 6.9 585.0 6.6 180.7 , Sunda Strait 6.3 60.0 , Molucca Sea 6.5 0.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Northern Mariana Islands 7.1 15.0 , Lake Atitlan 6.0 100.0 , Districts of Republican Subordination 7.5 20.0 The 1949 Khait earthquake caused a series of large landslides. The estimated death toll was around 12,000. Major destruction was caused in the area. Many homes were destroyed. Large aftershocks followed. 12,000 , Districts of Republican Subordination 6.7 20.0 Aftershock. , Districts of Republican Subordination 6.9 20.0 Aftershock. , Arequipa Region 6.5 65.0 7.2 145.0 , off the coast of İzmir Province 6.5 15.0 7 people were killed and 435 were injured. 534 homes were destroyed. Another 5,501 were damaged. 7 435 , Northern Mariana Islands 6.6 210.0 , Kermadec Islands 6.5 25.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Tungurahua Province 6.5 15.0 6,000 people were killed in the 1949 Ambato earthquake. Damage costs were $7.5 million (1949 rate). 6,000 7.5 75.1 , southeast of Hokkaido 6.5 96.0 , Bingol Province 6.8 15.0 The 1949 Karliova earthquake resulted in 320 deaths and major property damage. 320 , Chiriqui Province 6.5 0.0 Unknown depth. , western Haida Gwaii 8.0 10.0 The 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake was one of the largest in Canadian history. , central Haida Gwaii 6.3 10.0 Aftershock. , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 6.8 0.0 Unknown depth.

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , northern Luzon 6.4 80.0 , Molucca Sea 6.9 15.0 , southwest of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.5 0.0 Unknown depth. , Kenai Peninsula, Alaska 6.7 50.0 , south of 6.5 0.0 Unknown depth.

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Katanga Province 6.0 35.0 , west of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 7.2 90.0 , southeast of New Ireland (island), Papua and New Guinea 6.5 96.0 Aftershock. , southeast coast of Alaska 6.3 0.0 Depth unknown. , southeast of New Ireland (island), Papua and New Guinea 6.6 87.4 Aftershock.

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.8 145.0 6.6 35.0 , Sichuan Province 5.5 0.0 At least 51 people were killed and some damage was caused. Depth unknown. 51+ , Terminal Island, California 0.0 0.0 Damage to oil wells was reported costing $9 million (1949 rate). Magnitude and depth unknown. , Gulf of California 6.8 10.0 , Kermadec Islands 7.3 205.0 6.6 15.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Magallanes y la Antartica Chilena Region 7.7 10.0 The 1949 Tierra del Fuego earthquakes was unusually large for this area. 1 person was killed and some damage was caused. 1 , Magallanes y la Antartica Chilena Region 7.3 10.0 A large aftershock of the earlier event. 3 further fatalities were caused as well as further damage. 3 , Kermadec Islands 6.8 185.0 , Chuquisaca Department 6.8 611.3 , Chiapas 6.5 65.0 , off the coast of Colima 6.0 0.0 Unknown depth. , Totigi Prefecture, Honshu 6.3 10.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Totigi Prefecture, Honshu 6.3 10.0 6.9 15.0 , Luzon 7.1 15.0 16 people were killed mainly due to boats sinking. A tsunami was reported. Some homes were damaged or destroyed. 16 6.5 160.0

References