List of earthquakes in 1951

This is a list of earthquakes in 1951. 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. Once again a very active year. One major series of earthquakes in Taiwan in October and November helped towards the upheaval. This series resulted in around 85 deaths in all. The main quakes causing most of the deaths shook neighboring parts of Central America with El Salvador in May (1,100 deaths) and Nicaragua in August (1,000 deaths) being affected. Aside from this activity China, Russia and the southwest Pacific islands saw magnitude 7.0+ quakes.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , offshore 2 , Gulf of Fonseca 3 , Hualien County 4 , Karabuk Province 5 , Taitung County Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Hualien County 2 , Xizang Province = 3 , Badakhshan Province = 3 , Badakhshan Province = 3 , Hualien County = 3 Southwest Indian Ridge = 4 , Morobe Province, Papua and New Guinea = 4 , Taitung County = 5 , Vanuatu = 5 , Hualien County = 6 , Sakha Republic = 6 , Bonin Islands = 7 , Kermadec Islands = 7 , west of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea = 7 , Karabuk Province = 7 , Hualien County = 7 , Kuril Islands Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Araucanía Region 6.2 35.0 , Badakhshan Province 7.5 215.6 , off the south coast of 6.6 54.4 , Chiba Prefecture, Honshu 6.1 55.0 , off the north coast of New Britain, Papua and New Guinea 6.9 0.0 Unknown depth. , Vanuatu 6.5 88.3 , south of West Papua (province) 6.3 15.0 Mozambique Channel 6.1 15.0 , Baja California 6.0 6.0 , east of 6.1 15.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Hawke's Bay, North Island 6.3 15.0 , Sakha Republic 6.5 10.0 , Batu Islands 6.0 25.0 6.9 249.9 , south of the Alaska Peninsula 6.9 20.0 , Morobe Province, Papua and New Guinea 7.3 180.0 , Sandaun Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 25.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Ryukyu Islands 6.9 168.9 , Savu Sea 6.7 35.0 , Vanuatu 7.2 101.0 , off the northeast coast of Honshu 6.1 64.4 , Arunachal Pradesh 6.0 25.0 , eastern Xizang Province 6.2 15.0 , Inhambane Province, Mozambique 6.0 15.0 , Kamchatka Krai 6.1 15.0 , Kermadec Islands 7.0 220.0 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands 6.9 157.7

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast 6.0 55.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 60.0 , south of Sumba 6.3 25.0 , Jujuy Province 6.8 185.2 , Districts of Republican Subordination 6.1 15.0 , Sakha Republic, Russia 7.1 10.0 , Arunachal Pradesh 6.4 15.0 , south of Honshu 6.8 471.1 , Arunachal Pradesh 6.0 25.0 , Hawaii (island), Hawaii 6.5 0.0 , off the north coast of North Island 6.1 20.0 , Potosi Department 6.4 247.7 , Solomon Sea, Papua and New Guinea 6.5 25.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Usulután Department 6.2 95.6 Foreshock. , off the coast 6.5 85.0 1,100 , Usulután Department 6.0 115.0 Aftershock. , Sofala Province, Mozambique 6.1 25.0 , off the coast of O'Higgins Region 6.1 32.7 , Antofagasta Region 6.0 53.3 , Molucca Sea 6.0 15.0 , Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 7.0 149.8 , western Xizang Province 6.0 15.0 , Papua (province) 6.3 25.0 , north of Buru 6.1 35.0 , north of Luzon 6.2 61.4

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Sabah 6.1 15.0 , southeast of the Ryukyu Islands 6.7 35.0 , Badakhshan Province 7.5 221.9 , off the coast of Hualien, Taiwan 6.1 15.0 , southern Alaska 6.3 128.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the south coast of Mindanao 6.0 25.0 , eastern Tongatapu 6.1 35.0 , west of Negros (island) 6.5 25.0 , Oaxaca 6.0 25.0 1 person was killed an some damage was caused. 1 , Bonin Islands 7.1 496.7 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.5 96.4 , Vanuatu 6.5 152.7 , Escuintla Department 6.2 100.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.1 45.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Gulf of Fonseca 6.1 15.0 The earthquake caused the walls of Cosigüina volcano to collapse. The cascading water flooded neighboring towns. At least 1,000 deaths were reported as well as major damage. 1,000 , off the west coast 5.6 55.0 A number of homes were destroyed. , Papua (province) 6.2 15.0 , Karabuk Province 7.0 25.0 The 1951 Kursunlu earthquake left 50 people dead and caused major damage. 50 , Molucca Sea 6.1 30.0 , Hawaii (island), Hawaii 6.9 0.0 2 people were hurt. Several buildings and infrastructure sustained varying degrees of damage. 2 , Kuril Islands 6.5 166.8

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , south of 6.8 494.1 , Kermadec Islands 6.5 25.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of northern California 6.0 15.0 Papua and New Guinea, East New Britain Province 6.3 35.0 , south of Shikoku 6.1 20.5 , off the northeast coast of Honshu 6.4 65.0 , Hualien County 7.5 25.0 This was the first in a swarm of powerful earthquakes that struck eastern Taiwan over the next few weeks. To prevent cluttering only magnitude 7.0+ events or ones that caused damage or deaths will be listed. All magnitude 6.0+ events have been plotted on the map and included in the statistics. , Hualien County 7.2 25.0 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes. , Hualien County 7.0 20.0 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes. This was the last of the magnitude 7.0+ events in the initial part of the swarm. A total of 68 people were killed across these events. 586 were injured. 2,382 homes were destroyed. 68 586 , Batu Islands 6.5 50.0 , Batu Islands 6.0 30.0 Aftershock.

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Samar 6.3 25.0 , Kuril Islands 7.0 35.0 , Antofagasta Region 6.8 123.0 , east of the Kuril Islands 6.5 20.0 , eastern Xizang Province 6.1 15.0 Foreshock. , eastern Xizang Province 6.8 15.0 Foreshock. , eastern Xizang Province 7.7 30.0 Some homes were destroyed. , eastern Xizang Province 6.0 15.0 Aftershock. , East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea 6.2 45.0 , Taitung County 7.3 25.0 Part of the 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes. 17 people were killed and 250 were injured. Further damage was caused. 17 250 , Taitung County 7.8 30.0 Part of the 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes. This came only 3 minutes after the previous event. , Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi 6.5 121.9

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of Choco Department 6.1 15.0 Southwest Indian Ridge 7.5 15.0 , Oaxaca 6.8 86.8 , Yunnan Province 6.4 27.5 Major destruction was caused in the area. 29,890 homes were destroyed. , eastern Xizang Province 6.3 15.0 , Gansu Province 6.2 15.0 , Guerrero 6.5 30.7

References