This is a list of earthquakes in 1973. 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. Both the number of large events and the death toll were substantially lower in 1973. There were 9 magnitude 7.0+ events. The largest of these was in Japan measuring 7.7. Russia and New Hebrides were active during the year with each country having 2 magnitude 7.0+ events. Nearly 3,000 deaths were reported with China being worst affected. Mexico also had a significant death toll.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Sichuan Province 2 7.1 , Oaxaca 3 , Michoacan 4 , Alajuela Province 5 , Luzon Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , off the east coast of Hokkaido 2 , offshore 3 , Michoacán 4 , Vanuatu 5 , Sichuan Province 6 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6 , Vanuatu 7 , Kuril Islands, Russia 8 , Luzon 8 , east of the South Sandwich Islands Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Manawatū-Whanganui, North Island 6.6 150.0 , Vanuatu 6.1 36.0 , south of New Britain, Papua New Guinea 6.7 43.0 , off the coast of Jalisco 6.1 33.0 , Michoacán 7.6 43.0 56 390

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Jujuy Province 6.3 229.0 , Sichuan Province 7.4 33.0 2,199 2,743 , Hawke's Bay Region, North Island 5.1 38.0 Moderate damage , southern California 5.8 10.0 , Fars province 5.2 27.0 Severe damage , Kuril Islands, Russia 7.5 27.0 Minor damage in Severo-Kurilsk.

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , eastern Kamchatka, Russia 6.3 32.0 , New South Wales 5.1 20.0 Property damage estimated $500,000 (1973 rate). , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.3 54.0 Aftershock of February 28 event. , Vanuatu 6.1 194.0 , Luzon 7.4 33.0 15 64 , Molucca Sea 6.6 33.0

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti 6.2 31.0 Some damage in Djibouti and 10 people injured. 10 , Quindío Department 6.3 158.0 Damage in Pereira, Armenia and Ibagué. , Nicobar Islands 6.6 33.0 , Vanuatu 6.4 35.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.2 52.0 Aftershock of February 28 event. , Alajuela Province 6.5 33.0 26 people were killed and 100 were injured. Damage costs were $200,000 (1973 rate). 26 100 , Papua (province) 6.3 33.0 , off the west coast of 6.5 50.0 1 person died and some damage was reported. 1 , Hawaii (island) 6.4 36.9 11 people were injured and some property damage was reported. Costs were $5.75 million (1973 rate). 11

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , offshore, 52 km north of Rabaul 6.1 20.0 , offshore, 222 km west–southest of Adak 6.0 31.3 Indian Ocean, 262 km northeast of Port Mathurin 6.2 24.1 , offshore, 245 km east–southeast of Attu Station 6.0 25.0 , offshore, 13 km west–southwest of Churāchāndpur 6.1 55.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 6.2 24.0 , Makira, Solomon Islands 6.5 70.0 , off the east coast of Hokkaido 7.8 48.0 27 , off the east coast of Hokkaido 6.2 50.0 Aftershock. , Kuril Islands, Russia 7.3 50.0 One person was injured and some damage was reported. Aftershock of June 17 event. 1 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.9 50.0 Aftershock.

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the southeast coast of Alaska 6.7 33.0 , Samar 6.1 44.0 Foreshock. , Samar 6.5 33.0 , north of Samar 6.3 38.0 Aftershock. , Xizang Province 6.6 33.0 , off the coast of Atacama Region 6.5 33.0 , Solomon Islands 6.2 30.0

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 7.0 200.0 6.0 33.0 , off the coast of Atacama Region 6.2 25.0 Foreshock. , off the coast of Atacama Region 6.4 14.0 , East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea 6.0 112.0 , Yunnan Province 6.0 33.0 , west of Panay 6.3 14.0 , Oaxaca 7.1 84.0 600

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of Primorsky Krai, Russia 6.7 532.0 , Bohol Sea 6.5 560.0 , off the east coast of 7.7 575.0

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of Valparaíso Region 6.7 14.0 Damage in Valparaíso. , off the coast of Valparaíso Region 6.1 33.0 Atlantic Ocean, east of the South Sandwich Islands 6.9 33.0 , Vanuatu 6.3 33.0 , Tarija Department 6.6 529.0

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the west coast 5.8 8.0 More than 1,400 homes damaged on Lefkada. , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 6.4 34.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake , Andreanof Islands, Alaska 6.3 41.0 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.3 33.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.0 51.0 , Fars province 5.8 11.0 One person was killed and major damage was reported. 1 , off the east coast of Honshu 6.4 56.0 , Azores Islands 5.1 5.0 One person died and moderate damage. 1 , south of Crete 5.7 26.0 Some damage was reported. , Vanuatu 6.3 124.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 6.8 39.0 , Sumba 6.2 58.0 , Vanuatu 7.5 26.0 Some damage was caused. , Vanuatu 6.9 47.0 Aftershock. Some damage was caused. , Vanuatu 6.6 10.0 Aftershock.

References