This is a list of earthquakes in 1964. 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. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Alaska had the largest event of the year both in terms of magnitude and death toll. In March a great magnitude 9.2 earthquake struck the southern part of the state. This was the largest earthquake in United States' history and currently ranks as 3rd largest globally. The quake and subsequent tsunami resulted in 139 deaths in total. In spite of such a large event there were only 11 other magnitude 7.0 + events which is below normal. Japan, Taiwan and Mexico had earthquakes which resulted in a number of deaths. Indonesia and Papua New Guinea experienced high activity this year with a cluster of magnitude 6.0 + events hitting throughout the year.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , southern Alaska 2 , Kaohsiung / Baihe 3 , Guerrero 4 , off the west coast of Honshu 5 , Bursa Province Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , southern Alaska 2 , South Sandwich Islands = 3 , off the west coast of Honshu = 3 , Vanuatu = 3 , south of South Island 4 , Minahasa Peninsula, Sulawesi 5 , Guerrero = 6 , southern Kuril Islands, Russia = 6 , Nicobar Islands = 7 , near Banda Aceh, Sumatra = 7 , eastern Sea of Japan = 7 , west of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.2 55.0 , off the west coast of Sulawesi 5.2 90.0 8 people were killed and 27 were injured. Some damage was caused. 8 27 , off the south coast of Hokkaido 6.1 55.0 , Kaohsiung 6.5 48.1 107 people were killed and 479 were injured in the 1964 Baihe earthquake. 3,000 homes were destroyed. 107 479 , Vanuatu 6.9 137.5 , Chin State 6.2 70.0 , Arequipa Region 6.5 117.7 , Badakhshan Province 6.6 195.5

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Honshu 6.0 45.0 , south of Alaska 6.9 20.0 , Yunnan Province 5.4 15.0 Some damage was reported. , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.3 70.0 , Magway Region 6.0 100.6

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Strait of Gibraltar 6.6 25.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.1 142.2 , Banda Sea 6.8 359.1 , southern Alaska 9.2 25.0 The 1964 Alaska earthquake was the largest in United States history. The earthquake itself caused 15 deaths and fairly extensive damage to Anchorage, Alaska and surrounding areas. A large tsunami led to 124 further deaths. Total property damage costs were $400 million (1964 rate). To prevent cluttering only aftershocks above magnitude 6.5 will be listed. 139 , northeast of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.5 25.0 Aftershock. , south of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.5 15.0 Aftershock. , Minahasa Peninsula, Sulawesi 7.4 130.0 , south of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.6 25.0 Aftershock. , south of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.5 25.0 Aftershock. , south of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska 6.5 15.0 Aftershock. , south of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.7 18.6 Aftershock.

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Banda Aceh, Sumatra 7.0 60.0 Major damage was caused with many homes being destroyed. , northern Sumatra 6.0 65.8 Too far south of previous event to be consider an aftershock. , southwest of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.8 18.4 Aftershock. , southwest of Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.5 25.0 Aftershock. , 1964 Slavonia earthquake, Croatia 6.0 15.0 3 people were killed and major damage was caused. 3 , Aru Islands 6.4 15.0 , Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 108.0 , Sunda Strait 6.1 20.0

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Solomon Islands 6.0 50.0 , Manyara Region 6.5 33.8 1 person died and 19 were injured. Major damage was reported. 1 19 , eastern Sea of Japan 7.0 20.0 2 homes were destroyed. , eastern Sea of Japan 6.5 25.0 Aftershock. , Manabí Province 6.2 35.0 , South Sandwich Islands 7.8 125.0 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.2 45.6 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.7 48.6

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the north coast of Papua (province) 6.0 20.0 , Malatya Province 5.8 10.0 8 people died and some damage was caused. 8 , northern Sumatra 6.2 35.0 , off the west coast of Honshu 7.6 15.0 26 people were killed and 450 were injured in the 1964 Niigata earthquake. Property damage was extensive with costs of $80 million (1964 rate). 2,250 homes were damaged or destroyed. 26 450 , off the west coast of Honshu 6.5 10.0 Aftershock. , off the west coast of Honshu 6.2 15.0 Aftershock. , southern Kuril Islands, Russia 7.1 71.3 , St Matthias Islands, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 35.0 , Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi 6.6 20.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Gulf of California 6.3 15.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.5 35.0 , Gulf of California 6.5 15.0 , Guerrero 7.3 93.3 The 1964 Guerrero earthquake left 78 people dead and caused major damage. 78 , Banda Sea 6.9 190.0 6.5 20.0 , Vanuatu 7.6 130.0 , off the west coast of Honshu 6.0 12.5 Aftershock of June event. , Attica (region) 6.2 152.7 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.8 30.0 , Atacama Region 6.5 30.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.5 35.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , west of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 7.0 388.3 , off the coast of Atacama Region 6.7 15.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 50.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Shanxi Province 4.7 0.0 23 homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. , Ceram Sea 6.1 35.0 , west of Bougainville Island, Papua and New Guinea 6.2 65.0 , East Sepik Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.6 108.8 , south of South Island 7.6 20.0 , Nicobar Islands 7.1 70.0 6.0 20.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Solomon Islands 6.1 26.5 , Bursa Province 6.8 27.4 19 people died and $5 million (1964 rate) in property damage was caused. 19 , Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi 6.2 25.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.5 26.0 , Banda Sea 6.9 586.3 , Arunachal Pradesh 6.8 25.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Loreto Region 6.0 117.1 , northern Sumatra 6.1 100.0 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 55.0 Some damage was caused. Another large event struck a few days later in an example of a doublet earthquake. , off the east coast of mainland Papua and New Guinea 6.1 55.0 6.0 10.0 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.8 35.0 , east of Luzon 6.3 35.0 , Southeast Sulawesi 6.0 617.5 , off the northeast coast 6.2 15.0 , Sado Island 6.0 15.0 Aftershock of June event.

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 60.0 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.3 582.7 , eastern Sea of Japan 6.3 30.0 , south of Fiji 6.7 589.2

References