This is a list of earthquakes in 1959. 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. Generally the year experienced below normal seismic activity with 10 magnitude 7.0+ events. The largest was a magnitude 7.9 which struck Russia in May. August was an interesting month mainly owing to a magnitude 7.3 earthquake which struck Yellowstone National Park. This resulted in 28 of the 94 deaths during 1959. Most of the deaths in fact were in August as Taiwan and Mexico were struck by events which caused 16 and 25 deaths respectively.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 2 , off the coast of Veracruz 3 , Mus Province 4 , off the east coast of Taiwan Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , eastern Kamchatka, Russia = 2 , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming = 2 , Kermadec Islands 3 , off the east coast of Taiwan 4 , Tarapaca Region = 5 , off the east coast of Honshu = 5 , Puno Region = 5 , Solomon Islands = 5 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea = 5 , South Sandwich Islands Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , south of Dominica 6.6 138.8 , south of Fiji 6.5 485.2 , Baucau District, East Timor 6.0 35.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 7.0 35.0 , eastern Hokkaido 6.2 15.0 Foreshock. , off the coast of Chiapas 6.0 35.0 , Atacama Region 6.3 45.0 , eastern Hokkaido 6.4 25.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , eastern Hokkaido 6.4 25.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast 6.9 30.0 Some damage was caused. , Oaxaca 6.0 20.0 , off the coast 6.0 15.0 , Coquimbo Region 6.4 60.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.0 35.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.0 50.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast of West Papua (province) 6.9 35.0 , Leti Islands 6.1 35.0 , Badakhshan Province 6.1 209.9 , Quiche Department 6.3 165.0 , Eastern Province, Zambia 6.1 0.0 Unknown depth. , Ryukyu Islands 6.6 15.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.1 80.0 , central Nevada 6.0 15.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur 5.5 15.0 Some damage was reported. , Sumba 6.2 35.0 , Santa Cruz Province, Argentina 6.1 15.0 , Oaxaca 6.2 101.4 , off the south coast of Papua (province) 6.4 75.0 6.2 37.0 , off the south coast of New Britain, Papua and New Guinea 6.0 53.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.0 51.0 , Mugla Province 5.9 15.0 Some damage was reported. , off the east coast of 6.9 118.0 2 people were killed and some damage was reported. 2 , off the coast of Chiapas 6.5 25.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , eastern Kamchatka, Russia 7.9 55.0 1 person died and another 13 were hurt in the 1959 Kamchatka earthquake. Many homes were destroyed. 1 13 , eastern Kamchatka, Russia 6.3 15.0 Aftershock. , western Xizang Province 6.3 25.0 , Salta Province 6.6 25.0 , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 6.0 35.0 , central Crete 6.1 35.0 , Atacama Region 6.0 43.0 , Cook Strait 6.0 65.0 , Oaxaca 6.6 65.0 Major damage was caused. , Ryukyu Islands 6.6 101.7 , Vanuatu 6.5 97.6

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 100.0 , Batanes 6.2 15.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Batanes 6.1 15.0 , Tarapaca Region 7.1 109.2 1 person was killed and some damage was reported. 1 , eastern Kamchatka, Russia 6.9 10.0 Aftershock of May 4 event. , eastern Kamchatka, Russia 6.6 10.0 Aftershock. , Kermadec Islands 6.5 162.6 , Xinjiang Province 6.1 25.0 , Savu Sea 6.0 60.0 , Solomon Islands 6.0 35.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Henan Province 5.0 0.0 Some people were injured and a few homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. 1+ , Vanuatu 6.5 15.0 , Fiji 6.6 15.0 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.8 629.2 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Santiago del Estero Province 6.9 623.5 , Potosi Department 6.8 111.0 , Luzon 6.7 150.0 , Puno Region 7.0 200.7 , off the east coast of New Britain, Papua and New Guinea 6.4 35.0 , off the coast of northern California 6.2 15.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Shanxi Province 5.5 15.0 43 homes were destroyed. , off the east coast of 7.2 25.0 The 1959 Hengchun earthquake left 16 people dead and another 63 injured. Many homes were destroyed. 16 63 , Solomon Islands 7.0 25.0 Major damage was reported. , off the east coast of 6.2 174.6 Aftershock. , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 7.3 5.0 One of the largest events to strike the state. 28 people were killed and extensive damage was caused by the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake. Costs were around $11 million (1959 rate). 28 , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 6.5 5.0 Aftershock. , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 6.0 5.0 Aftershock. , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 6.3 5.0 Aftershock. , Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 6.0 5.0 Aftershock. , Manyara Region, Tanganyika 6.1 0.0 Unknown depth. , off the coast of Veracruz 6.4 31.0 During the 1959 Coatzacoalcos earthquake, 25 people were killed and another 200 were injured. Many homes were destroyed. 25 200 , west of Vancouver Island 6.5 15.0 , central Alaska 6.0 44.0 , Lake Baikal, Russia 6.1 10.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Elbasan County 6.2 20.0 2 people were killed and major damage was caused. 2 , southern Sulawesi 6.1 15.0 , Kermadec Islands 7.3 35.0 , Kermadec Islands 6.8 35.0 Aftershock. , southeast of 6.5 20.0 , Vanuatu 6.0 35.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Fier County 6.0 20.0 , Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi 6.6 35.0 , south of Fiji 6.6 582.0 , Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan 6.0 15.0 , Mus Province 5.4 15.0 18 people were killed and some damage was reported. 18 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.5 20.0 , Kamchatka, Russia 6.6 132.8 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.7 61.8 , Primorye, Russia 6.2 561.7 , Fiji 6.6 418.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.3 45.8 , Medea Province, Algeria 5.3 15.0 Some damage was caused. , off the west coast of Hokkaido 6.5 30.0 , Xinjiang Province 6.1 47.8 At least 1 person died and some damage was caused. 1+ , Ionian Sea 6.7 15.0 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea 7.0 133.1 , off the southwest coast of Sumatra 6.6 30.0 , Atacama Region 6.1 35.0 , Xinjiang Province 6.0 35.0 , Kenai Peninsula, Alaska 6.1 0.0 Depth unknown.

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Sulawesi 6.4 25.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.3 24.0 , South Sandwich Islands 7.0 25.0 , Fox Islands (Alaska) 6.0 27.3 Aftershock. , Atacama Region 6.6 100.9 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.0 593.8 , off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia 6.6 26.8 Largest event of a series of events affecting the area. , off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia 6.5 39.6

References